Questions/Answers

According to data in 2012, there are approximately 4,500,000 children between the ages of 2-4. Thailand which is considered the best age of learning. However, it is found that 12% of these age groups don’t have many opportunities to access to a quality education. While 30% of these ages has got the problem of delayed development and nutritional deficiency. Associated with the data of Khaochaison sub-district municipality, it is found that disadvantaged children in the area are lack of opportunities and equalities for education due to economic competition, social changes shifted from kinship family to single family, core values of schooling children in the cities, raising standard and low quality of child development center leading to inappropriate parenting as well as being abandoned. Khaochaison sub-district municipality has realized the importance of increasing opportunities and equalities, including enhancing children’s educational equality as well as the quality of child development center by engaging social capital, particularly the elderly to join in the process of planning and implementing. This could help exchange and share their experience between children and elderly to each other while responding to the real need of the community. For this reason, determining public policy, encouraging cooperation, participating efficiently of all stakeholders, integrating art and culture, local wisdom together with learning experience lesson, creating kinship society comprising three different ages with love, warmth and homeland attachment can be practiced closely with quality management of child development center in all 5 aspects, social capital and PDCAI cycle of management in order to enhance innovative “Hands in Hands: No kid is left behind for education” by child development with the elderly cares.

In order to help the underprivileged and disadvantaged children between the ages of 2-4 from both well-being and poor families, equal access to public early childhood educational service, we need the collaboration of all sectors in the community, particular the elderly with knowledge, experience and local wisdom participating in teaching and learning activities, creating development mechanism for comprehensive educational management between the elderly and children. We believe that all of these can provide children with good nutrition, good parenting in the family, proactive education associated with local wisdom. Meanwhile the elderly also feel more useful and proud of themselves and are likely to be healthier in both body and mind. Correspondingly, it can apparently reduce the cost of health care for elderly and strengthen society and country solidarity.

Innovation can enhance quality of education for underprivileged and disadvantaged children while obtaining good nutrition and proper maturity development. All sectors can participate through public policy forum, held every 2 months so as to acknowledge, find the solution, improve the quality of educational management for early childhood, to a good standard, respond to the real need of parents and community and set up social capital mechanism by using the potential of elderly. Innovation can help not only to drive but also share knowledge, skills, technology, and financial support to the underprivileged and disadvantaged children to gain access to public educational services in the responsible area as well as outside area. In other words, innovation can expand the network of early childhood development services including opportunity and equality which will finally lead to learning society and sustainable quality of life development.

Innovation corresponds with the objectives of enhancing equality and opportunity in education policy especially for children aged between 2-4, from both well-being and poor families. These children are educated through the participation of all sectors, specifically the elderly. The elderly who have got experience and knowledge in the community can actively collaborate on the process of underprivileged and disadvantaged child development.The approaches are divided in 5 systems as follows: 1)administration and management 2) environmental management 3) experienced learning program 4) child health care 5) participation of parents and community. In addition, PDCAI, Planning, Doing, Checking, Acting and Integrating , are implemented along with information networks connection and expansion of quality child development center in others areas. This implementation is supported and funded by community budget, academic network partner and the municipality. Consequently, children can grow up healthily and properly and become good and professional people in the future.

The approaches of innovative implementations promotes not only the standard of public educational services for early childhood development of Khaochaison sub-district municipality but also early childhood development center, widely recognized by parents and the community.The awareness of quality educational development as well as community development are generated, while integrated learning process based on local wisdom, art and culture in teaching and learning activity management. Besides, activities for the potential elderly participating in mechanism of educational development are also created according to 5 systems as mentioned. The new standard has been set, which differs to normal standard of early childhood development conducted by Department of Local Administration. Likewise, public policy forum is held to acknowledge problems and needs, determine participation approaches within the community and to encourage a learning environment, all of which finally leads to bond and love between elderly and children. The implementation plan is organized according to concrete capacity of the community. Site visit and workshop are also planned in order to develop the capability of staff being responsible for early childhood, to set up, to follow up and to evaluate network implementing the program of elderly care for children.

In the past the Thai society consisted of big families, therefore they were close to their parents and relatives while educational institutions haven’t yet been developed. Due to social changes. Thai society nowadays has shifted to a competitive society and single families. Hence, children are not raised by their relatives and also are not well mannered, and educated. In addition, the security of life are decreasing and the elderly are abandoned, having a negative effect on their health. The innovation can provide opportunities for the poor and disadvantaged people to have access to equality education. Meanwhile the elderly can also contribute and transfer their local wisdom and culture in learning and teaching activities coupled with all sectors participation. In this regard, Thai society becomes stronger, warmer with the attachment of two generations and learning society with the elderly participation in educational development while the elderly feel proud, more valued and less depressed.

According to the national strategic plan for early childhood development between 2012-2016, all early childhood should be properly developed as suited to their ages. The innovation can help increase the opportunities and equality in education. All children can get comprehensive and quality education along with local productive resources, capital support and the participation of the elderly. Teaching and learning activity programs are run through the community participation process. The municipality coordinates all sectors to join in the process and create administrative and management of the 5 systems based strategies in the community. In this regard, the quality of the early childhood development center has been promoted and integrated in local wisdom and culture. The children feel more love and attached to the elderly while the elderly feel proud and happy. It can strengthen society. This is the reason why Khaochaison was awarded for the best management of Local Administrative Organization together with the prize of 5 million baht by the Office of the Prime Minister to the Local Administrative Organization with Good Governance. Khaochaison has become a role model for innovative strategies to enhance early childhood development at the learning center in Khaochaison sub-district municipality elderly club establishment.

This innovation was created and initiated by Khaochaison sub-district municipality while integrating local wisdom from the elderly experience through teaching and learning program and contributing from other sectors. This innovation can increase the opportunity and equality for the education of underprivileged and disadvantaged children, focusing on the children of the community aged between 2-4. They will be educated according to the parents and the communities needs and supported by Thai Health Promotion Foundation. As a consultant, Thai Health Promotion Foundation also assists the study and evaluation on development of the early childhood center, focusing on results and integration of the community, especially the elderly in the process of teaching and learning. As a result, this innovation for early childhood and the elderly care for their children to enhance the opportunity and equality of education concerning human development.

The sources of implementation are as follows: 1) Human resources, network of the elderly who are willing to contribute, for example retired people or local wisdom elites. 2) Local wisdom knowledge, such as local art and culture, folk plays, traditional herbs, local identity, community learning areas. 3) Budget supported by Thai Health Promotion Foundation, parents, private sectors, community, Khaochaison sub-district municipality 4) Academic information network, for example, Prince of Songkhla University, schools, hospitals, Office of Development and Homeland Security 5) Information technology is also required to collect, process and evaluate.

Yes

This innovation has been transferred by setting up a network of early childhood development which integrates knowledge, experience, and social capital of elderly in local communities together with activities adapted to local wisdom. The network of early childhood development have been set up in 10 different districts of Phatthalung province through benchmark, experiences sharing, learning process and meaningful practices. These 10 early childhood development centers become a role model of early childhood development and practices for other centers and communities. Furthermore, Khaochaison sub-district municipality has inspired and widened its innovation nationwide across communities and countries throughout TV programs, such as NBT news channel, YouTube site visit along with lectures and exchange experiences program in different government offices, for instance Khaochaison early childhood development center has been recommended by Local Personnel Development Institution, Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior as a model that both local administrative officers and executive local administrative officers have to visit and observe its working process, according to Thailand 4.0 policy on the topic “Professional Early Childhood Management” As a result, Khaochaison early childhood development center has received many visits from different government departments.

Since 2012 Khaochaison sub-district municipality has strengthened society in different dimensions in order to create a stable structure for sustainable development by using social capital, particularly the elderly to concrete on innovation and learning organization. For individual aspect, it creates a bond of love, attachment and moral between the elderly and children and also within family institution. Children become gentle and warmhearted while elderly get good care. It leads to a solid and strong community and help solve problems within the society at the same time. In terms of economic dimension, when both children and elderly are in good health and mind, it helps reduce the cost of the government for health care and services. Children can have easy access to public quality educational service. Parents can concentrate more on their occupations, consequently the economy becomes more dynamic. In terms of environmental dimension, because the elderly childhood development is adapted in each community by focusing on local wisdom as well as art and culture, the children feel more connected and attached to their home environment. And they are proud of their identities. While the community’s environment is also protected in order to keep the community’s learning center from now on and in the future.

The innovation is certainly more sustainable in terms of collaboration between the elderly and other sectors. From 2012 until now there are more and more numbers of elderly in Thai society of which number is not enough to organize and collaborate altogether in early childhood teaching and learning development program. Besides, the quality of life of the elderly has improved positively while the number of sick elderly and home bound elderly has decreased explicitly. The participation of the community, parents, academic network partner and civil society play an important role in coordination and promotion of teaching and learning activities and sustainable continuity of early childhood development program. Early childhood development is seriously considered as the main policy of Khaochaison sub-district municipality therefore it has set up a strategic plan, mission and strategies to develop approaches focusing on educational development by providing opportunities to all sectors and communities working, perceiving and managing precisely budget altogether. This policy has also been written in local government development plans and municipal law so that it maintains the sustainable innovation and broadens its inspiration to other early childhood development centers in other provinces, other regions and all over the country.

Yes

This innovation has formerly been evaluated by 4 departments as follows: 1) Khaochaison sub-district municipality has appointed the committee of satisfaction evaluation on its implementation of early childhood development center. The questionnaire was used to collect data of clients and stakeholders. 2) Benchmarking the process and outcome in 5 systems were evaluated by Thai Health Promotion Foundation. 3) Early childhood development center was evaluated by the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment based on 6 standards of its requirements. 4) The result and success of the innovation were evaluated both documented and field surveyed by Subcommittee on Selection of Local Government Organizations, by the Office of Decentralization to the Local Government Organization Committee, the Prime Minister Office.

The outcome of the evaluation are presented as follows: 1) Regarding to the assessment of satisfaction of clients and stakeholder in early childhood development center conducted by Khaochaison sub-district municipality, the outcome revealed that clients and stakeholder were satisfied. 2) Regarding to benchmarking the process and outcome in 5 systems conducted by Thai Health Promotion Foundation, it was at high level in all 5 systems 3) Regarding the quality of early childhood educational development center conducted by Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment, it has passed the standard criteria by 78.50% which meant a good level. 4) The assessment of 7 indicators of innovation conducted by Sub-Committee on Selection of Local Government Organizations has passed the standard criteria by 80.00% which meant a very good level. All of these outcomes shows the effectiveness of this innovative implementation. Children have the opportunity to access quality teaching and learning at the early childhood development center while the interaction and relationship in the community has been boosting with a bond of love and attachment. Integration of local wisdom and local art and culture also notably connect children to their homeland and community. Enhancing the quality of life for children.

The assessment are as are follow: 1) questions were used as indicators of clients and stakeholders satisfaction assessment 1.providing opportunities to learn at the early childhood development center 2.decreasing parents cost 3.children were secured and got better nutrition 4.children were aware of local wisdom 5.The relationship between children and the elderly has been developed with love and care 6.The elderly seemed to be happier when participating 7.all sectors worked together. 2) Thai Health Promotion Foundation has defined 5 system indicators including 1.administration and management 2.environmental management 3.learning management 4.health care 5.participation of parents and community 3) 6 indicators have been defined as a standard criteria of quality in early childhood development center, including 1.management 2.officers 3.building, environment and security 4.academic and curriculum activities 5.participation and support of all sectors 6.promotion of network development 4) Innovative assessment has defined 7 indicators, including 1.initiation and support of local government administration 2.concordance of problems in the community 3.challenges and constraints 4.cooperation and network 5.product 6.outcome 7.continuity and sustainability.

This innovative focuses on the participation and collaboration of all stakeholders to enhance the opportunity and equality of early childhood development by appointing the committee of development center, integrating social capital particularly the elderly in teaching and learning activities, designing and practices based on the community , creating a network with all stakeholder etc. Each stakeholder played his role as follows: Planning and Designing Procedure 1) Sub-district municipality has analyzed the potential of the organization by organizing public policy forum. This forum has collected information from other sectors such as religion elites, parents, elderly, local wisdom elites and government agencies in order to determine vision, strategy, objective, program management based on 5 systems and the need of the community. 2) Academic network partners has also taken part at providing knowledge and suggestion for child health management, child screening, potential searching of social capital, specifically the elderly and health care. Implementation Procedure 1) Sub-district municipality has set up the system and implemented 5 systems of early childhood development program based on the needs and context of the community together with the participation of other sectors. 2) The elderly has contributed and shared their love, knowledge, local wisdom, and experience as well as participated in the process of planning a curriculum and organizing activities. Evaluation and Build on Procedure 1) Sub-district municipality has appointed the committee to evaluate the satisfaction of children and parents as to improve and develop the curriculum to better the needs of the community. 2) Outside agencies have evaluated the success of innovation together with recommendations for a further sustainable improvement and innovation. 3) Based on innovation, child development networks can build on introducing strategies, such as knowledge, and activities, in other areas.

The key lesson learned from this innovation is comprised as follows 1) To enhance the quality of early childhood education requires the 5 systems of early childhood management, together with the participation of all community sectors. 2) Social capital, especially the elderly, is important for community development. The participation of the elderly in teaching and learning program for early childhood can strengthen solidarity of three generations (elderly-parents-children) as well as awareness of Thai local wisdom and Thai art and culture while better responding to further changes and further knowledge. 3) To make a clear policy and to determine accurate objectives requiring the community’s vision, principles of change management, including the process of perception, understanding and recognizing problems, finding solutions and also contributing to the problem. Overall, the approaches of further development, revision and improvement of the 5 systems and social capital should be promoted as national policy, according to Thailand 4.0. The policy should be applied as a model for early childhood development across the country based on each community. Finally, network expansion should be set up as a spider web to expand all over Thailand.