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Early years�鶹APP� education for children in low-income countries has just become a �鶹APP�high priority�鶹APP�, according to a new report out today.

The news comes as it was revealed 85% of children in the developing world don�鶹APP�t have access to pre-primary education.

In fact, only 0.6% of the Department for International Development�鶹APP�s (DFID) bilateral education budget is being spent on pre-primary education.

The UK International Development Select Committee�鶹APP�s report called for more investment �鶹APP�the DFID does not apportion enough of its budget to pre-primary education, and needs to do more work in this area.�鶹APP�

And urged it to �鶹APP�take full advantage of the lifelong impact of education, to focus on early years�鶹APP� education, when a child�鶹APP�s brain is developing.

Minister of State for International Development Alistair Burt MP conceded pre-primary education had been �鶹APP�neglected in the past�鶹APP� and promised it was now a �鶹APP�high priority�鶹APP�.

He said: �鶹APP�The recognition of the importance of early years�鶹APP� education, building on that first 1,000 days and everything you do with the child at the earliest stage, is very important.

�鶹APP�It has not been funded well enough in the past. It has been an area that has been neglected. It does bring the highest returns in the future, and the returns are greatest for the most marginalised children, including those with disabilities and those living in conflict and emergencies.

�鶹APP�Do we take it seriously? Yes, we do. I am not sure about where the budget is going but, as part of in-country programmes, it now has a very high priority.�鶹APP�

Ben Hewitt, �鶹APP�鶹APP�s Director of Campaigns and Communications said: “The evidence is clear that investing in the early years brings the biggest return on investment in later years, yet despite this DFID spends less than 1% of its education budget in this area.

�鶹APP�In light of this important report, all eyes are now on DFID to step up its commitment to the very youngest children, especially the poorest and most marginalised, and invest 10% of its education budget in pre-primary education.”

�鶹APP is calling for countries and donor governments to give 10% of their education budgets to pre-school children. And a major report from the United Nations children�鶹APP�s agency UNICEF has echoed this call.

Launched at the UN General Assembly in New York, it urged governments and partners to invest urgently in services that give young children the best start in life.

�鶹APP�What�鶹APP�s the most important thing children have? It�鶹APP�s their brains,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake as he launched the Early Moments Matter for Every Child report.

“But we are not caring for children�鶹APP�s brains the way we care for their bodies �鶹APP� especially in early childhood, when the science shows that children�鶹APP�s brains and children�鶹APP�s futures are rapidly being shaped.

A child�鶹APP�s brain is 90% developed by the time he or she is five years old, so the early years are vital when it comes to a child�鶹APP�s potential. With the proper care, food, stimulation and protection, a child will flourish.

Which is why �鶹APP�鶹APP�s #5for5 campaign has been calling for investment in early childhood development and the five key areas of nutrition, protection, play, health and learning.

A UNICEF spokesman said: �鶹APP�Investing in early childhood education can be a powerful way to reduce gaps that, often, put children with low social and economic status at a disadvantage.

�鶹APP�Studies show that the returns on such investments are highest among poorer children, for whom these programmes may serve as a stepping stone out of poverty or exclusion.

In the report, UNICEF also pointed out that early years�鶹APP� education can, �鶹APP�increase the likelihood of primary school attendance, decrease grade repetition and dropping out�鶹APP� and �鶹APP�improve school readiness which in turn results in better primary school outcomes, particularly for poor and disadvantaged students�鶹APP�.

Again, UNICEF argued that �鶹APP�DFID should support efforts to strengthen governments�鶹APP� ability and commitment to deliver quality pre-primary education at scale as well as encourage programme partners to continue to innovate and develop models that are needed to reach the most marginalised children and families�鶹APP�.

The World Bank, for example, which accounts for 43% of all ODA spending on pre-primary education, only commits 2.7% of its total education portfolio to this area.

DFID�鶹APP�s expenditure on early years (pre-primary) education is low in comparison to its investments in other stages of education �鶹APP� just under 0.6% of its bilateral education budget.

Senior Education Adviser at DFID, Ian Attfield, said: �鶹APP�You get the biggest bang for your buck if you invest in pre-primary education�鶹APP�.

In the report, he went on to argue that there may be areas where DFID�鶹APP�s contribution to early years education is under-represented in official figures, as �鶹APP�traditionally most pre-primary classes are run out of the primary schools�鶹APP�.

It was also explained that �鶹APP�early years schooling can mean that children are more likely to stay in school, learn better throughout their school education and have better health and higher incomes later in life, yet it has been neglected in terms of funding.�鶹APP�