Through regional knowledge exchange hubs, partner countries are increasingly leveraging GPE KIX to lead, shape and implement ECCE education system reforms grounded in evidence and innovation. Examples include webinars in Asia and the Pacific, workshops in the Caribbean States, or cross border collaboration in West Africa.
A scoping study and consultations with partner countries identified two core issues in ECCE:
- inclusive early learning pedagogies
- foundational skills for a smooth transition to primary school
GPE KIX applied research explores strategies to adapt, scale, and implement promising or proven innovations in effective, equitable, and sustainable ways. It also aims to identify what factors enable, incentivize, or impede the scaling of these innovations.
Key results
GPE KIX-supported research and hubs have helped national education systems address ECCE priorities by translating evidence into policy, financing, and practice. Countries are integrating ECCE into Education Sector Plans and Partnership Compacts, with notable Africa 19 Hub milestones including South Sudan adopting its first national ECCE policy and Lesotho leveraging GPE KIX evidence to unlock significant new financing for early learning. GPE KIX research has also supported expanded access to pre‑primary education through scalable models adopted nationally in Lao PDR and Cambodia, while improving quality through play‑based pedagogy, curriculum reform, and teacher development in countries such as The Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Vietnam. Strengthened ECCE workforce planning, governance, and data use are helping governments identify inequities and better target investments to the children most at risk. Overall, GPE KIX is demonstrating how evidence can move ECCE from the margins to a core pillar of learning, equity, and system resilience.
