Summary of Early Years Education Research in Western Africa

Context

Recent research focuses on Early Years education in Western Africa, specifically related to a child referred to as Child O.
Child O, recently arrived from West Africa, is receiving support in the SEND intervention classroom and currently attends for only one hour each day.

Parents are hesitant to engage additional support agencies, attributing Child O's difficulties solely to the family’s relocation.
Prior concerns regarding speech and attention were noted during the admission process.
Parents expressed surprise at the restrictions on Child O's attendance despite his distress.

UNICEF (2017) indicates that over half of children in West Africa lack access to early childcare or education, placing the region among the lowest on global scales for early education accessibility.
While Child O attended nursery in his home country, Obiwelouzor (2015) highlighted the lack of teacher training for early years education and the absence of governmental plans to establish such training.
Low pay in the sector contributes to unpopularity, resulting in unqualified staff within early years settings.

Research by Eskay et al. (2012) emphasizes the difficulties of educating students with SEND in Africa due to societal negativity towards supporting these children and further underscores the issue of unqualified educators.

The research enhances comprehension of parental reluctance to involve professionals, suggesting that their views on early education significantly differ from UK practices.

A reassessment of addressing Child O's needs will be initiated, starting from a speech and language perspective (SALT referral).
Emphasis will be placed on building trust and demonstrating staff professionalism and knowledge.
The aim is to convey available support, prioritize Child O’s needs, and highlight relevant policies and laws safeguarding his rights to education and assistance.

Following feedback from PT, additional research will be conducted on the Leuven scales (Laevers, 1993) to reinforce understanding of their application in UK education settings.