Japan Education Forum for Sustainable Development Goals (16th JEF for SDGs)

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has become one of the most important issues that emerged from the era called Education for All (EFA). One of the targets for Goal 4 (Education) in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is “ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education” by 2030. Furthermore, the rights of children to survival, development, and protection are guaranteed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, concluded in 196 countries and territories worldwide, including Japan. However, millions of children around the world are still deprived of these rights.

The care and education of children still shows significant regional disparities, and there are many countries where no such program has been put into practice for children under the age of three. Apparently, ECCE coverage differs conspicuously among countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nevertheless, the comprehensive spread and improvement of early childhood care and education in every country is of extreme importance to the health and happiness of children, as well as to the future development of each country. As outlined in the SDGs, the goal should begin by providing an inclusive, fair, and quality education, and fostering the opportunity of lifelong study to all people,” which “shall signify the provision of ‘strong foundations’ to children during their childhood, and which should also continue during adult life.

Given such circumstances, this year’s JEF for SDGs will focus on early childhood and discuss, from various aspects including the policies concerned and co-operation/assistance, the current status and tasks surrounding the provision of a positive foundation for children, which is expected to be passed on to the next generation. In the keynote speech, the benefit to children of early childhood care and education will be validated in light of SDGs’ viewpoint, and we fully expect to have a very meaningful exchange of opinions with the participants at the panel discussion.

PROGRAM

Theme：“Current Status of the Education of the Next Generation, and Challenges to Its Sustainable Growth, with a Focus on Early Childhood”

Date：Friday, February 22, 2019

Venue：Assembly Hall, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Tokyo

Organized by: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

Hiroshima University

University of Tsukuba

Supported by: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

*Languages: English-Japanese simultaneous interpretations

SCHEDULE

Morning Session

9:30-　　　       Registration

10:00-10:20　      Opening Session

Opening Address: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan

Opening Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan

10:20-10:50         Keynote speech 1 Lynette Okengo, Executive Director, Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN), Video
10:50-11:20         Keynote speech 2 Takashi Hamano, Professor, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Video (Japanese Only)

11:20-12:00         Questions and Answers with Keynote Speakers

12:00-13:30         Lunch Break

Afternoon Sesssion

13:30-15:00　      Panel Session

Moderator:  Mathias Urban, Professor, Desmond Chair of Early Childhood Education, Dublin City University

Panelists:

• Dwi Priyono, Director, South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Early Childhood Care Education and Parenting (SEAMEO CECCEP)
• Keiko Nakamura, Vice Principal, Hiroshima University Kindergarten
• Junko Takaoka, Research Manager, Child Sciences and Parenting Research Office, Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute
• Mathias Urban, Professor, School of Language, Literacy & Early Childhood Education, Dublin City University
• Christine Chen, President, Association for Early Childhood Educators (Singapore)

Registration

Registration Form
please fill out the form for the registration.

If you cannot access the site, please send your name, affiliation, year in school, email address, program(s) you will take part in, and need of translation headsets to the secretariat via fax or email.

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