​Biography

Rokhaya-Fall-DIAWARA.PNGRokhaya Fall DIAWARA is an Education Programme Specialist and Global Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) lead at UNESCO Headquarter in Paris.

Before taking up this role, she managed basic education including ECCE, Technical and vocational training and literacy portfolio at the UNESCO Abuja office, covering eight countries out of the 15 for west Africa after working at the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Africa based in Dakar, Senegal, covering all sub-Saharan African countries, where she led the African Working Group on ECCE of the Association for Development of Education (ADEA) during 7 years on behalf of UNESCO as a chair of the entity.



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Good Morning, good afternoon, good evening wherever you are in in the world!

I am Rokhaya Fall DIAWARA, Education Programme Specialist and Global Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) lead at UNESCO Headquarter in Paris.

Before taking up this role, I was managing basic education including ECCE, Technical and vocational training and literacy portfolio at the UNESCO Abuja office, covering eight countries out of the 15 for west Africa after working at the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Africa based in Dakar, Senegal, covering all sub-Saharan African countries. I led the African Working Group on ECCE of the Association for Development of Education (ADEA)during 7 years on behalf of UNESCO as a chair of the entity.

I have been working extensively in the field of education for 17 years and I can tell you, although Education is a key for freedom and peace, personal and economic growth, ECCE is the door for a strong foundation in life for every child!

In my working experience, notably in Africa, I have supported 23 countries to develop ECCE policiess or programmes, and I can tell you : we are still far away from  achieving the SDG 4.2 target by 2030 – "to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education".

It is about ECCE I would like to talk to you, members of the ASPNET community today as I believe you have the power for change! You have a voice to raise! You have actions to conduct, in this critical period of our common agenda towards 2030 education agenda!

You may know the evidence of the importance of early years for long-term learning, behaviour, employment, and health status has been building for decades but just lest me recall three key facts:

  • Children who experienced early malnutrition are likely to have lower scores in tests assessing cognitive function, psychomotor development, fine motor skills, activity levels and attention span
  • ECCE improves attendance and performance at primary school and beyond. Attendance in an ECCE programme can enhance social and emotional development and well-being, language and basic cognitive skills development, and physical and motor development.
  • Investing in ECCE pays off as research has shown that savings are made by reducing dropout, repetition and special education placements for both governments and families.

Despite all the result findings, access to ECCE is still challenging for almost all countries around the word. Some children have no possibilities to access ECCE programmes, mostly in developing countries; some are accessing services, but which are of poor quality; even in developed countries, there are inequities in access for disadvantaged and vulnerable children who might be excluded due to economic reasons or cultural barriers.

I have already referred to your power for change and I would like now to call you to act together with UNESCO to fast track achieving the ECCE goals.

From our side , UNESCO is calling for a Global partnership Strategy which aims to 1) move ECCE/ECD policy and programme action forward rapidly, and 2) ensure all countries meet SDGs.

From your side,
  • as an ASPnet teacher, please recall that ECCE is covering the age range of 0 to 8 years old and, in a way or another, you are working with children in the classroom or at the community level. Please respect the development steps of the child; take into consideration the need of communication, motricity, play, socio-emotional interaction, stimulation. I am inviting you to continue your in-service training and learning more about recent research findings
  • as ASPnet student, please recall that your younger brother and sister need your caring, your support in learning, playing and understanding the world. Take time to support them and bringing them to the next level of learning!
  • Finally, to you parents and members of the community, learning begins at birth and you are the first caregivers and educators. Take the time to talk to your children, to give them a good start with appropriate care and nutrition! There is nothing better than a child laughing, in good heath and ready for school!

Let us rewrite the future of millions of children at risk of not developing their full potential!