Early childhood research and Indonesia's young children

Abstract

Assesses what global evidence tells about the importance of early childhood education and development (ECED) and documents policies and procedures Indonesia has implemented to promote ECED. Despite reduced poverty rates, inequality has persisted in Indonesia, and families living below the poverty line have experienced only modest gains in health and education. Primary school enrollment is near 100 percent for children of all income levels, but children from poorer households are less likely to progress to higher education. Research in developed and developing countries has identified many immediate benefits to the health, school readiness, and overall well-being of children who receive ECED services. Short-term benefits typically include: reduced prevalence of stunting; improved nutritional status, cognitive development, and socio-emotional development; and reduced behavior problems. In Indonesia, an evaluation of 235 children who attended ECED showed those who attended for two years scored higher on school readiness than those who did not attend. The greatest impact was observed in children who were most economically disadvantaged and whose parents had the least education.