Rights from the Start: Early Childhood Care and Education

Every year, over 200 million children under the age of five in low- and middle-income countries will not attain their development potential due to poverty, nutritional deficiencies and inadequate care and learning opportunities. Most of these children live in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Due to this poor start in life, if they get the chance to go to school, they are likely to underachieve. Subsequently, they will perpetuate the cycle of poverty, with low income jobs as adults, likely to have children themselves at a very early age, and provide poor health care, nutrition and stimulation to another generation. By ignoring the right to education, millions more children will be condemned to the same fate. The Global Campaign for Education is calling on world leaders to keep their promises and ensure early childhood care and education for every child – right from the start.