Characteristics of Households - Childinfo.org

Early Childhood Education and Learningin Roma SettlementsOnly 8 percent of children in Roma settlements, aged 36–59months, attend an organised early childhood educationprogramme (Table CD.1R). Urban-rural differentialsare present — the figure is 10 percent in urban areas,compared to 4 percent in rural areas. Among childrenaged 36–59 months, attendance to early childhoodeducation programmes is more prevalent among childrenwhose mother has secondary education (25 percent).Table CD.1R: Early childhood education,Roma Settlements, 2010Percentage of children age 36–59 months who are attendingan organized early childhood education programmePercentage of childrenage 36–59 monthscurrently attendingearly childhoodeducation 1Number of children age36–59 monthsSexMale 8.2 347Female 8.2 305AreaUrban 10.0 447Rural 4.1 205Age of child36–47 months 5.0 30548–59 months 11.0 347Mother’s educationNone 5.6 131Primary 6.8 462Secondary 24.5 55Wealth index quintilePoorest 4.5 168Second 5.6 161Middle 11.7 107Fourth 9.5 113Richest 13.1 102Total 8.2 652No gender differentials exist, but a differential bysocioeconomic status does, namely, that while about everyeighth child from the richest and middle quintile attendsuch programmes, among poorer quintiles only about onein 20 children attend preschool. It should be noted thatthe proportions of children attending early childhoodeducation programmes at ages 36–47 months and 48–59months are 5 percent and 11 percent respectively.Table CD.1R.A shows the reasons for non-attendaceat kindergarten of children aged 36-59 months. Whenlooking into reasons for this low attendance, the opinionthat there is someone to take care of the child at homeis shared by 54 percent of parents/caretakers. On theother hand, access issues were named as the reasons fornon-attendance for 43 percent of children. Among these,27 percent found cost the main obstacle to attendance.This percentage grows to 39 percent for children of singlemothers and among parents with only primary education,and to 44 percent in the poorest quintile. In 23 percentthe other reasons are mentioned.1MICS indicator 6.7MONITORING THE SITUATION OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN 143