Early Childhood Development and Early Childhood Education – UNICEF

UNICEF is supporting the Government of Oman to strengthen ECD and ECE  services to ensure that children arrive at school healthy, stimulated, and ready to learn.

Supporting Oman in Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals

UNICEF’s IECD work supports Oman in reaching SDG 2.2 Ending All Forms of Malnutrition,  SDG 3.2 Ending  Preventable Deaths of Newborns and Under Fives and SDG4 Quality Education and Life-long Learning Opportunities.

Early Childhood Education (ECE)

UNICEF Oman is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to create a costing model for the implementation of mandatory universal access to one year of ECE. This initiative aims to support the enforcement of the Education Law, which guarantees the right to enroll in pre-primary education. The project includes developing a financing strategy and investment case to facilitate the nationwide rollout of ECE programs.

Integrated Early Childhood Development Centers (IECD)

Oman Country Office, in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development, is conducting a study to develop programmatic scenarios, costing, and financing strategies for the design of integrated early childhood development (IECD) centers in Oman. These centers will offer a comprehensive range of services including health, nutrition, protection, early stimulation, and learning in a single location, ensuring the inclusion of children with disabilities.

Strategic Social and Behaviour Change Communication[SE1]

The Government of Oman is committed to ensuring that families know how to give their children the very best start in life and are able to access high-quality services – including IECD services – within their communities. The government has developed a national policy and plan to achieve this.

In support of this, UNICEF is assisting the government in developing and implementing a cross-cutting social behavioural change communication (SBCC) strategy to encourage good practices and uptake of available services.   

To improve IECD practices, the SBCC campaign will address issues including maternal health, the provision of nurturing care, good nutrition (including exclusive breastfeeding) and the importance of early childhood education and stimulation.

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