Decolonizing Early Childhood Education Practices

Transcript:Decolonizing Early Childhood Education Practices:
Decolonizing Early Childhood Education Practices and Research in the Arab World Dr. Anies Al-Hroub President of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children Prof. of Educational Psychology and Special Education, AUB, Lebanon Visiting Scholar, University of Cambridge, UK Introduction Early Childhood Education (ECE) is widely recognized as a critical period for cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical development, laying the groundwork for lifelong learning and social participation. Yet, despite global recognition, ECE remains one of the most inequitable and underdeveloped sectors in many parts of the Global South, including the Arab world. Introduction Approximately half of the world’s pre-primary-aged children—175 million—are not enrolled in any organized learning program, and 80% of these children live in low-income countries (UNICEF, 2019). In the Arab region, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) for ages 3–4 averaged 27% in 2016, with stark disparities between and within countries (Al-Hroub, 2024; UNESCO Institute for Statistics [UIS], 2023). Decolonizing Education Decolonizing education is a multifaceted approach to education that actively challenges and dismantles colonial structures, ideologies, and practices within educational systems. It aims to create more equitable and inclusive learning environments by centering marginalized perspectives, particularly those of Indigenous and formerly colonized peoples. Decolonizing Education For ECE, decolonization is not about rejecting all external influence; rather, It is about reclaiming the right to define what constitutes quality early learning in each community, embedding cultural identity, linguistic rights, and social justice in the earliest years of education. Why Decolonize ECEC? Colonial and postcolonial systems continue to shape educational policies and priorities. In the Arab world, these legacies are compounded by postcolonial political economies, donor dependency, and—in many contexts—protracted crises. Research and practice are dominated by Western theories and benchmarks (e.g., OECD, UNESCO) that may overlook cultural, linguistic, and indigenous/local knowledge. Decolonization in Early Childhood Education Building on these frameworks, decolonization in ECE can be understood along four dimensions: Epistemic Decolonization – Centering local knowledge, histories, and child-rearing philosophies. Linguistic Decolonization – Protecting and promoting mother tongue instruction in early years. Pedagogical Decolonization – Replacing rote, top-down teaching with inquiry-based, culturally responsive pedagogy. Structural Decolonization – Reforming governance, funding, and teacher preparation systems to reduce dependency on external models. Historical Context of ECE in the Arab World Legacies of Colonial Education Post-Independence Reforms Neoliberal and Donor-Driven Reforms Legacies of Colonial Education In North Africa, French colonial policies focused on assimilating elites through French-language education (Limage, 2000). In the Levant, British/French mandates