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This article focuses on early childhood education (ECE) in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where millions of children lack access to pre-primary school. The article highlights the importance of ECE for future education and life outcomes and discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ECE in the Global South. It presents evidence from various countries on the effects of the pandemic on ECE outcomes, the role of parents and caregivers in supporting children's learning during school closures, and the relationship between ECE and school readiness. The article also addresses the need for comprehensive system improvements, data-driven decision-making, and increased donor support for effective implementation of ECE programs. [Extracted from the article]

This article investigates to what extent disrupted schooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic has affected pre-primary-age children's school readiness in Ethiopia. We use data on early numeracy of 2,640 children collected before and after the eight-month school closure to assess their learning progress in the context of COVID-19. We find that children who attended pre-primary school prior to the school closures performed better than those who did not after schools re-opened, and made greater gains in early numeracy at primary school entry. For children who attended pre-primary education, boys, children with literate caregivers, and those from wealthier families show significantly greater learning gains than their peers, which raised concerns about widening learning inequality as a result of the pandemic. Given that pre-primary education was the most neglected part of the government's COVID-19 education response, these findings point to an urgent need for political leadership to prioritize pre-primary education in responding to the current and future crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction In 2022 the Radiation Oncology Nurses (RON) Specialist Practice Network of the Cancer Nursing Society of Australia completed the first national workforce study of RONs in Australia. Objectives The qualitative component of the study describes responses by the RONs on a range of issues. This data aimed to provide information and personal reflection on topics such as satisfaction with their work, role components, work practices, departmental tasks, education, career progression, and opportunities for advancement. Methodology Researcher-initiated questions sought responses to aspects of the RON role in six distinct categories, plus further comments could be added. The questions explored consistencies, insight, and reflection from the attitudes and perspectives of RONs. Content analysis of the data resulted in seven groups of responses condensed into meaning units and further into codes and themes. Results A total of 140 RONs from both the public and private sectors provided 416 responses. The resultant themes included perceiving the RON role as personally rewarding and satisfying, being able to spend time with patients, providing holistic care, and making a positive difference to patients. RONs reported enjoyment of working with colleagues, autonomy in their work, and satisfaction with the outcomes of their nursing interventions. Conversely, many RONs felt that the role was often undervalued and misunderstood by nursing management and other health professionals. They perceived that many administrative, cleaning, and stock management tasks could be undertaken by other staff. The lack of formal RON education nationally was also considered an issue by many respondents, and career progression was further limited by the lack of opportunities. Conclusion This important study provided valuable insights into the RON role, and perceptions were generally positive. However, many responded that it was a waste of scarce nursing resources to undertake tasks that could be done by other staff. The lack of formal post-graduate RON education nationally was also an issue that many RONs would like to see addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]