Against a backdrop of renewed international commitment to early
childhood development (ECD) as an important part of Education for
All, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa’s
(ADEA) Working Group on ECD (WGECD) initiated a study of ECD
policy processes and implementation in Ghana, Mauritius, and Namibia
under the directorship of Kate Torkington (2001). The three African
countries were each at different stages of developing a cross-sectoral
policy focused on the holistic development of young children. Namibia’s
cabinet had approved the policy in 1996 and it was published the same
year; Mauritius approved its policy in 1998 and had started implementing
it; and Ghana’s cabinet had not yet approved the draft policy. This
chapter provides an overview of findings from those case studies, the most
recent update of the policy developments in each country, and the
implications for the evolution of ECD or ECCD (early childhood care
and development) policies in other African countries.
The three country reports presented here follow a common outline: a
brief history of the situation before the policy was demanded; the factorsthat prompted its formulation; the policy development/formulation process,
including problems encountered and their solutions; the main issues captured
in the policy; implementation issues (mechanisms proposed, in place,
or used); the current situation; and lessons learned.