Early Child Development in China: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Improving Future Competitiveness

Wu, Kin Bing ; Young, Mary Eming ; Cai, Jianhua

Washington, DC:World Bank

关键词: ACCESS TO INFORMATION;    ADDICTION;    ADULT LITERACY;    ADULT LITERACY RATE;    AGE GROUPS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/978-0-8213-9564-6
RP-ID  :  70983

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

In the past 30 years, China has reachedthe target of lifting 500 million people out of poverty. Therate of increase in human development indicators has becomethe second fastest in the world, allowing China to enter theranks of middle-income countries. As the most populouscountry, accounting for one-fifth of the world'spopulation, its transformation has been unprecedented inhuman history. Scientific evidence and internationalexperience in the past 10 years have found that early childdevelopment (ECD) is key to human development, as it laysthe foundation for the rest of life. Early child developmentincludes physical, psychological, emotional, language,behavioral, and social development. Experience in the earlyyears of life will determine healthy development andhappiness in the rest of life. Research has found thatinvestment in ECD is the most cost effective strategy toimprove human development. In China's demographictransition, the population of children and youth isdeclining in absolute numbers, and the investment of raisingthem can increase on a per capita basis. This study has beenin the making since 2009. It was prepared during a time whenChina was charting its course of development under the 12thFive-Year Plan (2011-2015). The study began with anagreement between the World Bank and China's NationalPopulation and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC) for acollaborative study on ECD. Concurrently, China'sMinistry of Education invited the World Bank to conduct anoverall review of the education sector, in order to provideit with inputs and suggestions as it prepared China'snational plan for medium- and long-term education reform anddevelopment (2010-2020). In reviewing achievements andchallenges in the education sector, the Bank found thatthere was much room for expanding and improving preprimaryeducation for children ages 3-6. The Ministry of Educationappreciated the Bank's identification of this need andset ambitious goals for preprimary education in the nationaleducation plan.