Quality of Early Childhood Education in Private and Government Preschools of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The present study assesses the quality of preschools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and examines differences in quality between government and private preschools. Thirty-seven preschools (16 government and 21 private) and 37 preschool teachers from Addis Ababa participated in this study. Data were collected using the Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA) Scale which contains 76 items across five areas of practice: Environment and Physical Space, Curriculum Content and Pedagogy, Early Childhood Education Educators and Caregivers, Partnership with Families and Communities, and Young Children with Special Needs. Items are rated on a 5-point scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Specific analyses also considered if preschools were meeting adequate quality standards. Both private and government preschools had less than ‘adequate’ quality. Private preschools had relatively better quality compared with government preschools. The GGA is an important measurement tool to measure quality in ECE services that can inform policy and advocacy efforts to deliver higher quality early childhood education in the Ethiopian context. Preschools in Ethiopia could use the GGA scale, as a self-evaluation tool, to identify how and where to focus their efforts in order to deliver quality early education to children and families. © 2019, Springer Nature B.V.