The establishment and outcomes of African early childhood development networks and conferences, 1990-2009

Abstract

The history of early childhood education, care and development (ECD) in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is an under-documented area of study. Seeking to understand and document this important history has led to this study, focusing on a key period of ECD development: 1990-2009. Within that period two key ECD networks were launched and a series of four African International ECD Conferences took place. This study examined closely both the two networks and the four conferences with a particular interest in the degree to which those initiatives influenced the development of ECD policies in sub Saharan Africa. This research focused on sub Saharan Africa in the regions that two early childhood networks implemented their activities - the Early Childhood Development Network for Africa (ECDNA) and the Working Group of Early Childhood Development (WGECD). These included the East, West and Southern African regions. The research was carried out utilising a qualitative research paradigm with document analysis and semi-structured interviews being data collection methods. The study was informed by the social network analysis and Foucauldian theoretical frameworks which assisted in analysing relationships and power between various groups. The research looked at the period between the years 1990 and 2009, which saw a number of key global and African events take place that shaped the lives of children and influenced ECD policy development. In 1999, the first in a series of four African international ECD conferences was held in Kampala, Uganda followed by conferences in Asmara, Eritrea (2002), Accra, Ghana (2005), and Dakar, Senegal (2009).The research established that by 2009, two early childhood development networks had been established on the continent and the four early childhood development conferences had been held with promises to strengthen early childhood development. Through this research, historical information on the early childhood development network and conferences has been outlined and recorded.