Ukraine has pledged to place early childhood education at the top of its agenda for education reforms to ensure children in the country, including those returning from abroad, can benefit from a safe, quality early education.
The partnership between Theirworld and the Ukranian government was announced at an event to launch the global charity’s Act for Early Years campaign at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The campaign calls for world leaders to invest in early years childcare and pre-primary education.
At the event, Yevhen Kudrivets, Ukraine’s first deputy minister for education and science, said, ‘Ukraine is committed to be an Act for the Early Years champion — even during a crisis. We are committed to reforming our system and increasing the coverage for three to five-year-old children across the country.’
According to Theirworld, since the Russian invasion began 18 months ago, more than 100 early childhood schools have been destroyed and more than 1,000 damaged. Many are being used as shelters for internally displaced people.
As part of the latest initiative, Theirworld will provide technical support and staffing to develop and implement the national early childhood education and development initiative in Ukraine.
Justin van Fleet, President of Theirworld, said, ‘During the first five years of a child’s life, 90 per cent of brain development takes place. That’s why we are hyper-focused on making sure every child has the strongest supports and developmental opportunities – regardless of their country or background.’
