Educating very young children

Why should universal access to pre-primary education be a global priority?
Children enrolled in at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school and less likely to repeat grades or drop out. As adults, they contribute to peaceful societies and prosperous economies. Evidence of the ways in which pre-primary education advances development exists around the world.
Yet, global disparities in enrolment persist. More than half of low- and lower-middle-income countries are not on track to ensure at least one year of quality pre-primary education for every child by 2030, as set out by the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNICEF
What should governments do to ensure pre-primary education for all?
1. Scale up investment
Pre-primary education provides the highest return on investment of all education sub-sectors. Yet, it receives the smallest share of government expenditure compared to primary, secondary and tertiary education. 
2. Progressively grow the pre-primary system, while improving quality
Efforts to scale up access to pre-primary education should not come at the expense of quality. Quality is the sum of many parts, including teachers, families, communities, resources, and curricula.
Without adequate safeguards for quality, expansion efforts can intensify education inequities. It is only by investing in quality as education systems grow – not after – that governments can expand access and maintain quality.
9.3 million new teachers are needed to achieve universal pre-primary education
Only 50% of pre-primary teachers in low-income countries are trained
Only 5% of pre-primary teachers globally work in low-income countries
3. Ensure vulnerable populations are not the last to benefit
Access to early childhood education has been slow and inequitable, both across and within countries. Worldwide, vulnerable children are disproportionately excluded from quality pre-primary education – even though it can have the greatest impact on them.
To ensure no child is left behind, Governments should adopt policies that commit to universal pre-primary education and prioritize the poorest and hardest-to-reach children at the start of the road to universality, not the end.
_{*Early childhood education} 

The richest children are 7 times more likely to attend ECE* programmes than the poorest

Children of mothers with secondary education are 5 times more likely to attend ECE* programmes

Children in urban areas are 1.5 times more likely to attend ECE* programmes than those in rural areas

Equitable attendance in ECE* programmes exists between girls and boys
UNICEF video In Mongolia, many people live as nomads, making it difficult for children to get to preschool. So UNICEF and partners are bringing the preschool to them.