Early childhood development strategy study in Indonesia

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have guided political energies and development resources over the last decade, with tangible progress across multiple areas including poverty reduction and human development. Early childhood development (ECD) remains one of the most powerful levers for accelerating Education For All (EFA) and meeting the MDGs for reducing poverty. The ultimate goal of ECD programs is to improve young children’s capacity to develop and learn. A child who is ready for school has a combination of positive characteristics: he or she is socially and emotionally healthy, confi dent, and friendly; has good peer relationships; tackles challenging tasks and persists with them; has good language skills and communicates well; and listens to instructions and is attentive. The positive eff ects ECD programs have can change the development trajectory of children by the time they enter school. A child who is ready for school has less chances of repeating a grade, being placed in special education, or being a school drop out.