The foundations of human development are laid during the child’s early years. Learning begins at birth and continues throughout life.
In Bangladesh, the majority of children aged five years and below have limited access to services that nurture their cognitive and psycho-social development. There are a number of programs run by Government, NGOs and faith-based organizations in the country, but not all provide a good combination of both the care and the early stimulation components. Poor socio-economic condition of the country is one of the root causes of this unwanted situation. Similarly, not all service providers in the health and education systems have the skills and resources for providing services related to early childhood care and education.
Recently, the government approved an Operational Framework for Preprimary Education to achieve EFA goals by 2015. Although the most recent Government plans include preschool classes in 80% of government schools by 2015, early childhood care and education has received insufficient attention so far. Due to severe budget and capacity constraints in this field, it has not been a government priority as of date.
