Who are We?

Background

The Centre for Early Childhood Education and Development (CECED) is envisaged as an institution that brings together research, policy and practice in the area of ECED within a coherent and holistic conceptual frame. CECED is a part of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Delhi which has been established by the Government of the NCT Delhi. CECED’s vision is to promote systemic understanding of developmentally and contextually appropriate and inclusive Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) with a focus on early learning. CECED specifically aims to provide a ‘single window’ approach to ECED by serving as:

• A hub for documentation, knowledge creation and theory building through longitudinal, multi-disciplinary and multi-centric research and documentation and its dissemination.
• A technical resource for promotion of quality and related capacity building for policy makers, professional, practitioners, parents and community.
• A clearing house and a repository of information/data on ECED.

Focal areas of CECED

Research, Evaluation and Documentation

• Evolving indigenous theoretical and empirical models that address multi-dimensional understanding of needs and characteristic of children in diverse and plural contexts.

• Developing insights into the interface between integrated child development and early education.
• Assessing, evaluating, documenting ECED provisions and good practices from the perspective of access, equity, quality, utilization and impact. These could include parental child rearing, day-care, pre-school and all other contexts in which children are provided care and early learning.

Quality promotion inclusion and capacity building

• Facilitating developing of a quality framework that addresses standards, curricula, materials, assessment for day care, pre-school and early primary years, ensuring continuity along the continuum.
• Reviewing, developing and trialling of on-site and off-site capacity building strategies, materials, evaluation tool and techniques.
• Reviewing, developing, trialling of strategies, tools, materials and guidelines for programme monitoring, assessment, accreditation in different contexts.

Advocacy and Networking

• Developing a communication and advocacy to reach all stakeholders so as to regulate quality of demand for ECED.
• Maintaining a web portal for professional sharing and interaction and linking with networks of ECED professionals and organizations, national and international.
• Establishing and maintaining a data base on ECED.
• Contributing to the development of second generation professional leadership in ECED in the country.

Vision

CECED aims to promote systemic understanding of developmentally, contextually appropriate and inclusive ECED with a focus on early learning. More specifically, it aims to:

• Expand the landscape of indigenous knowledge on ECED and narrow the gap between theory, research, policy and practice.
• Strengthen the momentum for high quality, play-based ECED.
• Critique and provide evidence-based, policy-related advice and feedback on existing programmes and provisions for children, across public, private and voluntary sectors.

Mission

To contribute towards the national goals of social justice and equity by promoting developmentally and contextually appropriate Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED), as every child’s right to a sound foundation, and raising ECED to the forefront of policy formulation, and effective and universal program implementation.

Team

AUD FUNDED STAFF LIST