This page contains all the data you need to show that Canada is not investing enough aid in preschool education. Download. Share. Act.

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The Canadian government has reversed recent big investments in vital preschool and early learning.

It is time to act for early years and re-prioritize the needs of the world’s youngest children so that they get the best start in life.

Canada must reinvest in early years

While remaining a top donor, Canada’s preschool investment has decreased in recent years. To ensure the world’s children have a fair chance from the start, Canada needs to reverse this trend.

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Early years are being left out globally

Despite encouraging progress in aid to preschool education in 2022, it remains just under 1.5% of total aid to education, far off the internationally agreed target of 10%. This imbalance must be reconsidered urgently. The consistent neglect of aid to preschool has caused a crisis of inequality affecting the world’s youngest children, which will require years of improved investment to address. As long as preschool aid lags behind other education aid, this gap will be impossible to close.

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Canada - stop missing the target

Investing in the early years is vital for children’s futures. Yet in 2022, Canada only committed 2.4% of education aid spending to preschool, missing the international 10% target by a long way.

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Canada must continue to be a reliable top donor

In 2022, Canada was one of the top five country donors for preschool, with its $6.5m accounting for 12.2% of the total $53.3m in bilateral aid. Over-reliance on a few top donors puts young children at risk of instability due to changing priorities, so Canada must continue to be a dependable partner that prioritizes the early years.

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Make your voice heard

You can tell the Canadian Government to make the early years a priority @Canada. It’s time to #ActForEarlyYears

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