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Curriculum in early childhood education and care

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UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood, no. 26
Author: 
Bennett, John
Format: 
Fact sheet
Publication Date: 
1 Sep 2004

Abstract:

This Policy Brief focuses on the issue of curriculum in early childhood education and care (ECEC), insofar as it poses a particular challenge for curriculum designers. While a curriculum helps to ensure that staff cover important learning areas, adopt a common pedagogical approach and reach for a certain level of quality, it, nevertheless, needs to be a set of broad programmes that emphasize the child's overall development.

Therefore, the aim for the ECEC curriculum must be for it to include components such as health and physical development, emotional well-being, social competence, positive approaches to learning, communication skills, cognition and general knowledge.