The Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) was launched on 7 February 2008. ARNEC is a professional network established to build strong partnerships in early childhood across sectors and different disciplines in the Asia-Pacific Region.
ARNEC Mission
ARNEC aims to strengthen advocacy, policy reviews and development, research and innovative practices in early childhood at national and regional levels with the goals of aligning these to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and achieving the objectives of optimal holistic development for all children.
To achieve these goals, ARNEC will:
- Expand the knowledge base on innovative practices in early childhood in the region;
- Analyze, synthesize and disseminate information in ways accessible and useful to a wide range of actors and stakeholders from different disciplines;
- Create capacity building opportunities; and
- Leverage human, institutional and financial resources in support of early childhood development.
ARNEC Steering Committee and Membership
The 15-member ARNEC Steering Committee is composed of professionals based in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, and representing government, academia, NGOs and UN agencies.
Membership in ARNEC is free and open to any individual concerned with young children in the Asia-Pacific region. ARNEC membership currently includes approximately 500 members from about 40 countries. The Network draws upon the support of its members who are experts in health, education, nutrition, social welfare, human development, research, sociology, anthropology or policy. As an ARNEC member, you are able to contribute your knowledge and share with others your experiences, at the same time, learn from others. Essentially, ARNEC aims to become a node linking all EC professionals, national networks, institutions and organizations together and establish an effective regional platform for networking and collaboration that enhances the region’s early childhood capacities.
Activities for 2010
Three Task Forces serve to develop and guide the network’s key activities. Task Forces are composed of ARNEC members under the leadership of a Task Force Coordinating Team, and work in collaboration with the Secretariat and full Steering Committee. ARNEC members are free to join a Task Force at any time.
The Research Task Force works to strengthen research on early childhood within the region, expand the knowledge base on innovative practices, interpret information, and provide analyses and information for a variety of audiences including:
- Compilation of country profiles pertaining to Early Childhood in the Asia-Pacific region
- Resource mapping and collection of new data through a mapping survey
- Analyses of Policy Reviews and other sources such as sub-regional reports and EFA MDA summaries relating to Early Childhood in the region
The Policy and Advocacy Task Force promotes effective policy development and implementation to support optimal holistic development of all children through policy reviews, communication and advocacy initiatives including:
- Organizing policy review and knowledge dissemination seminars and workshops
- Developing regional advocacy video and booklet highlighting key trends and issues in the Asia-Pacific
- Drafting key messages and advocacy materials
The Communication Task Force works to build effective communication for networking, knowledge building and advocacy within the ARNEC network and with stakeholders and broader audiences in Asia-Pacific and beyond.
- Development of ARNEC Connections: Working Together for Early Childhood (third issue)
- ECD news compilation, development and dissemination via monthly e-News Flash and e-mail alerts through the ARNEC mailing list
- Re-development of the ARNEC website to feature Discussion Board, ECD Experts Database, and Asia-Pacific Country Profiles
- Organizing e-Discussions among ARNEC members (first one on Inclusion and the second one on ECD in Emergencies)
- Organizing a photo contest to bring attention to Inclusion in Early Childhood
Special Projects
ARNEC has also identified special projects that the network will be managing and supporting in 2010:
- Development of the Regional Child Development Index: A research team composed of Dr. Nirmala Rao and Dr. Patrice Engle will be developing a criterion-based tool, with supporting scales and guidelines, that can be used to monitor the status of child development
- In partnership with Macquarie University, Australia and UNICEF Asia-Pacific Shared Service Center, ARNEC will be conducting a capacity assessment for emergency preparedness in 2-3 countries in the Pacific
- In collaboration with Save the Children, ARNEC will document a set of noteworthy practices in ECCD in the Asia-Pacific
- Participate in the review of the Regional ECD Report for the UNESCO World Conference on ECCE
ARNEC History
The concept of the network emerged from the Second Asia Early Childhood Policy Review seminar held in Bangkok in July 2007. At this seminar, participants from 9 countries (Pakistan, Nepal, Mongolia, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao PDR and Singapore) met to discuss the possibilities of forming a regional early childhood professional network that would cross all disciplines and sectors. The primary goal of this network would be to share knowledge of effective policies and practices related to early childhood for the benefit of all countries in the region.
ARNEC is supported by the following UN agencies and international organizations:
- UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office,
- Plan International Regional Office for Asia,
- UNESCO Asia Pacific Regional Bureau for Education,
- Open Society Foundation,
- Save the Children Alliance, and
- SEED Institute
The ARNEC Secretariat now operates at SEED Institute, Singapore, but was temporarily house at UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) from February 2008 - December 2009.
For more information contact:
Junko Miyahara
Coordinator, ARNEC Secretariat
c/o SEED Institute
73 Bras Basah Road
NTUC Trade Union House #07-01
Singapore 189556
+65 6332 0652
Email: junko.miyahara@arnec.net
Website: http://www.arnec.net
