PROBLEMS FACED BY CAREGIVERS DURING IMPLEMENTATION OF KEY LEARNING AREAS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION (ECCE) PROGRAM

Abstract

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) encompasses a comprehensive approach to the care and education of young children. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is seen as a vital element in driving Pakistan's advancement towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) vision 2030. The quality of a child's early learning experiences has a substantial influence on their preparation for life. The pre-school years are important for a child's education, and the subsequent success and holistic development in later schooling rely on this early period. Caregivers have a key role in fostering the fundamental aspects of child welfare. They support and assist teachers in all kinds of classroom activities. The major objective of this study was to examine the problems faced by ECCE caregivers in addressing key learning areas in ECCE programme in the Punjab, Pakistan. Qualitative approach was used to explore their potential challenges and their tentative solutions. The population of the study was the caregivers, from all ECCE schools in Punjab and multistage sampling technique was used for sample selection. Data were collected through qualitative research design. Semi structured interview protocol was developed to explore the problems in addressing key learning areas in ECCE setting and suggest the practical solutions to problems. It was concluded that the resources offered were insufficient to carry out the ECCE program effectively. There is dire need to have policy dialogue among all stakeholders to develop consensus to allocate and integrate available resources for improvement of ECCE schools in the Punjab.

Keywords: Early Childhood Care and Education, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), holistic development, key learning areas, caregivers.