School Readiness and Transition in the Gambia

Under the agenda of Vision 2020, the Gambia offered increased access to early childhood development (ECD) through centers attached to lower basic schools, using an integrated approach that took into account health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and protection of children aged 0 to 6, and targeted under-served regions, girls and other disadvantaged groups.
The UNICEF Regional Office for Western and Central Africa, in collaboration with UNESCO-BREDA and Plan International WARO, commissioned the present study to assess preliminary results from the Gambia's experience. The study posed the following questions:
- What is being done within education systems to offer 6- to 8-year-old children a welcoming environment and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities?
- To what extent are schools ready to facilitate young children's school integration and performance as well as their holistic development?
- To what extent does the primary school curriculum link to ECD programs?
- What gains have been made in transition from home to the primary level as a result of ECD programs?
This document was prepared for the ADEA Triennale (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 2012).
Under the agenda of Vision 2020, the Gambia offered increased access to early childhood development (ECD) through centers attached to lower basic schools, using an integrated approach that took into account health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and protection of children aged 0 to 6, and targeted under-served regions, girls and other disadvantaged groups.
The UNICEF Regional Office for Western and Central Africa, in collaboration with UNESCO-BREDA and Plan International WARO, commissioned the present study to assess preliminary results from the Gambia's experience. The study posed the following questions:
- What is being done within education systems to offer 6- to 8-year-old children a welcoming environment and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities?
- To what extent are schools ready to facilitate young children's school integration and performance as well as their holistic development?
- To what extent does the primary school curriculum link to ECD programs?
- What gains have been made in transition from home to the primary level as a result of ECD programs?