Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

In researching UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage I came upon an article by John Bennet (2004) regarding curriculum in early childhood education and it’s importance. It sparked my interest in reading about how other countries are focusing their attention on early childhood curriculum.  John Bennet in his article cited a statement by OCED (2001) saying national or provincial ministries in many countries have chosen to issue short guidelines about early childhood programming, addressed as much to parents and local administrators as to the educators. Essentially, these guidelines or curricular frameworks establish the value base and programme standards on which early childhood services in the country are to be founded (Bennet 2004). Bennet (2004) states that the aim is to encourage a shared sense of purpose between parents and early childhood centres; to promote social and cultural values important for society; to ensure a certain unity of standards; and to inform and facilitate communication between staff, parents and children. Due to new understandings of society, young children and their learning, their has been a reluctance to fixing detailed cognitive goals and content (Bennet 2004). Countries are very respectful of diversity and wish for this framework to build bridges between ethnic and social groups. I enjoyed reading this article because it gave me an insight as to how other countries find the need for early childhood curriculum and how they have chosen to set one up.

Another article on the website that caught my attention was written by Peter Moss (2004) on basic structures and education in the early childhood workforce in developed countries. It was interesting to see the structure of the early childhood workforce in other countries and the history of the educational systems. Two ‘core’ professions have emerged in countries which have gone furthest in integrating early childhood services (Moss 2004). Both work with children ranging from birth to age five, and both undertake a full range of tasks including education and care. One is the early childhood teacher working with children under and over 3 years; by contrast, teachers in divided systems typically only work with children from 3 years upward in schools (Moss 2004). The other is the pedagogue, a profession working with the theory and practice of pedagogy (Moss 2004). Moss quoted a statement by Moss and Petrie (2002) regarding pedagogue, “The pedagogue sets out to address the whole child, the child with body, mind, emotions, creativity, history and social identity.” The workforce in early childhood services in all countries must respond to two related developments: the divide between care and education is breaking down; and the professional role is becoming more complex, with growing recognition of the importance of working with parents and other services and of the competence of young children as learners (Moss 2004). It was interesting to see how different countries split their early childhood workforce like this and what each one, teacher and pedagogue, in a sense used for.

Under the Coordination and integration portion of UNESCO there is a write up on the study on the integration of ECCE (early childhood care and education) within education. This caught my attention because I haven’t really read up on this specific topic before. ECCE usually incorporates two different tradition, care and education. The former was often developed as welfare measures for working-class children who needed care while their parents were at work; the latter as kindergarten or pre-primary education, providing middle-class or all children with enriched educational activities prior to formal schooling (UNESCO 2014). Definitely not how we view early childhood today. This division between care and education has strongly influenced the organization and conceptualization of ECCE, and resulted in split systems’ discontinuities and inequalities between childcare and early education sectors due to differences in access, availability, resourcing and quality (UNESCO 2014). Caring and Learning Together: A Cross-National Study on the Integration of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) within Education, a UNESCO study on ECCE governance, focuses on examining the policy of integrating ECCE within the education systems, which is being adopted by an increasing amount of countries. This UNESCO study offers a rare assessment of the policy of integrating care and early education services within education, and provides key policy insights and recommendations on the subject (UNESCO 2014).

One of my ongoing goals as an educator has been to progress and increase my knowledge in the field of early childhood, although, recently I felt my goal should stretch to knowledge of the EC field in other countries. I have always focused my attention on the U.S., I haven’t opened up my research and education worldwide until starting my Master’s courses. UNESCO has given me much insight into how other countries portray EC and the division of education in some countries.

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Moss, Peter. (2004). The Early Childhood Workforce in ‘Developed’ Countries: Basic Structures and Education. UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. October 2004.  Retrieved from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/ 0013/001374/137402e.pdf

Bennett, John. (2004). Curriculum in Early Childhood Education and Care. UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. September 2004. Retrieved from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001374/137401e.pdf