Abstract
Ethiopia has made significant investments in early education programs since 2010. A national goal set by the government of Ethiopia aimed to enroll 80% children below the age of 6 years in kindergarten-level “O-classes.” However, effective partnerships with communities and families are required to achieve this goal. This study explores parental engagement in early education initiatives and how parents engage in early learning activities at home. The study involved in-depth interviews of parents (n = 20) from the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The interviews were conducted in Tigrinya and later translated into English. Interviews were textually analyzed to identify themes and patterns in the data. While parents acknowledged early learning as important, their own playful engagement with children was low. Parents reported limited engagement was largely a result of time and money constraints as well as perceptions of learning as a strictly academic process. Additionally, parents reported limited knowledge of child-appropriate stories, songs, and games to use with their young children. Major barriers for attendance at the center-based early education programs identified by parents included issues of road safety, distance to the preschool center, and the hygiene conditions at the preschool centers.
Résumé
L’Éthiopie investit de façon importante dans les programmes d’éducation des jeunes enfants depuis 2010. Un objectif national fixé par le gouvernement éthiopien vise à inscrire 80% des enfants de moins de 6 ans dans des « classes O » du préscolaire. Toutefois, des partenariats efficaces avec les communautés et les familles sont nécessaires pour atteindre cet objectif. Cette étude examine l’engagement des parents dans les initiatives d’éducation préscolaire et la manière dont ils s’engagent dans des activités d’apprentissage préscolaire à la maison. L’étude a fait intervenir des entrevues approfondies avec des parents (n = 20) de la région du Tigré en Éthiopie. Les entrevues ont été menées en tigrigna et ont été traduites en anglais par la suite. Ces entrevues ont été analysées textuellement pour identifier les thèmes et les tendances dans les données. Si les parents reconnaissent l’importance de l’apprentissage précoce, leur propre engagement ludique avec les enfants est faible. Cet engagement limité est en grande partie dû à des contraintes de temps et d’argent, ainsi qu’à des perceptions de l’apprentissage comme un processus strictement scolaire. En outre, les parents rapportent une connaissance limitée d’histoires, chansons et jeux adaptés aux enfants et pouvant servir avec leurs jeunes enfants. D’après les parents, les problèmes de sécurité routière, la distance à parcourir pour se rendre aux centres préscolaires et les conditions d’hygiène dans les centres préscolaires sont parmi les obstacles majeurs à la fréquentation de centres d’éducation préscolaire.
Resumen
Etiopía ha invertido significativamente en programas de educación temprana desde 2010. Una meta impuesta por el gobierno de Etiopía aspiraba a matricular 80% de niños menores de seis años en “clases O” de nivel de kínder. Sin embargo, para lograr este propósito se requiere del trabajo conjunto con familias y comunidades. El presente estudio explora la participación de padres en las iniciativas de educación temprana y la forma en que los padres se involucran en actividades de aprendizaje temprano en el hogar. El estudio incorporó entrevistas detalladas con padres (n = 20) de la región Tigray de Etiopía. Las entrevistas se llevaron a cabo en Tigrinya y fueron luego traducidas al inglés. Las entrevistas se analizaron textualmente para identificar temas y patrones en los datos. Aunque los padres admitieron la importancia del aprendizaje temprano, su propia participación en el juego con los niños fue baja. La falta de participación se debió principalmente a limitaciones de tiempo y dinero, así como a percepciones de que el aprendizaje es un proceso estrictamente académico. Adicionalmente, los padres reportaron poco conocimiento de las historias, canciones y juego apropiados para ser utilizados con sus niños pequeños. Los mayores obstáculos identificados por los padres para su asistencia a programas de educación temprana en el centro incluyen: seguridad vial; distancia al centro preescolar y las condiciones de higiene en los centros de preescolar.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge a number of individuals who made this research possible. Dr. David Chapman at the University of Minnesota lent critical assistance in drafting the study protocols. We would also like to acknowledge the technical and logistical assistance of Save the Children Ethiopia: Education Head, Tizazu Asare; Ethiopia Sponsorship Manager, Alene Yenew; Central Tigray Sponsorship Field Office Manager, Kahsay Kefey: Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning Program Officer, Hagos Abrha; and Early Childhood Care and Development Program Officer, Gebrerufael Gebrehiwot. Finally, this research would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our field interviewers—Berhe Arefayne, Mebrhit Werkineh, Tsegazeab, and Simone.
Funding
This study was fully funded through the support of Save the Children’s Sponsorship Funding as part of the Save-University Partnerships for Education Research (SUPER) program. Sponsorship programs are made possible by the generous donations of individuals in the United States, Italy, Korea, Australia, Hong Kong, and Mexico. The Sponsorship Program in the Central Tigray Impact Area of Ethiopia has been operating integrated programming for children since 2017.
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Appendix
Appendix
Examples of Questions Included in the Parent Interview
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1.
Parental engagement in home-based learning:
What are the activities that children do at home that help them learn?
Do you or anyone else in the family tell them stories? Do you sing with them? Do they sing on their own? Do they do any craft activities (activities requiring fine motor skills)?
Do you get a chance to practice counting with them?
What games do they play?
Does anyone in the family read to them?
What do you think children should be able to know/do before entering the school?
Can you give us examples of how you help them get these skills or knowledge?
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2.
Challenges and barriers for home-based learning:
Are there any things that you want to do for your children but can’t do at this point of time?
Can you tell us what the challenges involved singing with your children, playing with them, or helping them learn?
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3.
Parent perceptions and expectations of center-based ECE:
What do you think the children learn at school/ECD center?
What do you think children should know/do before entering the first grade of school?
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4.
Challenges and barriers in accessing center-based early education:
What were the challenges you faced during your education (if father/mother has attended school)?
Do you think the challenges your children face in getting an education are still the same or have things changed?
Can you please tell us what are the new challenges or difficulties?
What things do you like about having an ECD center in your village?
What things about the ECD center in your village do you think can be improved?
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Dighe, S., Seiden, J. Understanding Parental Engagement in Early Childhood Education in Ethiopia: Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges. IJEC 52, 37–54 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-020-00262-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-020-00262-8