Literature critique
Early childhood education in Australia had grown from a time when there was little or no mentioning in government agenda 40 years ago to being a key topic of agenda in the present Council of Australia debates. (Logan, 2012). Over the years, there has been some events and policies which have shaped the current early childhood system in Australia.
The first key event to ignite development of early childhood education and care is the bringing in of the Child Care Act, (1972). The Act triggered the formation of an agreement called the Accord by the Commonwealth government and the Australian Council of Trade Unions. The Accord brought about an increase in child care facilities in Australia. (Logan, 2012). In the years that followed, changes in governance brought about problems about childhood education, e.g., the empowerment of women and their roles in child development, making the issue of quality child education to be shadowed.
The second happening in Australia to progress early childhood education was the establishment of the National Childcare Accreditation Council(NCAC) in 1993. In so doing, the government required a system of accreditation. Before this, the Hawke government had increased funding to the commonwealth childcare centers. Private centers also received funding. (Logan, 2012). In this period, childcare became a right for families in the Labor policy. (Brennan & O’Donnell 1986).
The third major event that shaped early childhood education and care(ECEC) The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development providing the Australian Background Report. (Logan, 2012). In so doing there followed the privatization of the sector in the period between 1994 to 2000. This change promised quality, but it was a general threat to the whole sector. Privatization did not only shift the purpose for the ECEC but also brought about the issue of affordability. The government responded to this by subsidizing operation costs as a means of funding for both profit and non-profit institutions until 1997 when the non-profit long day care centers were denied the subsidies. As the profit form of ECEC centers became dominant than the nonprofit centers, there was great confusion in the definition of quality as the business-minded heads were focused on accountability and measures of performance. (Tyler & Thorpe, 2009).
In the period from 2001 to 2007, there came the corporatization of the sector, (Logan, 2012). The first corporation to be listed was the ABC corporation. Its performance on the stock exchange was excellent from 2001 to 2007. Domination of the childcare sector was inevitable as a result of its continued success in the stock exchange. Brennan (2007) mentions the introduction of tax rebates for out- of- pocket childcare costs by the Howard Coalition Government as another reason for the success of the ABC corporation. Through slogans and images, there was an increased focus on the quality of ECEC. A wide concern about quality was still a topic of concern in the closure of this period as economic and regulatory views continued to overcome government policies. (Logan 2012). This period also saw to the large expansion of corporate long day care facilities.
Finally, between 2008 to 2009, a period Logan (2012) refers to as the “Quality Front and Centre,” there came the much-anticipated changes. The ABC Learning collapsed in 2009, and there was formed, the National Quality Reform Agenda for ECEC. (COAG, 2009b). This was followed by the purchase of ABC learning centers by GoodStart Childcare Limited. The Commonwealth government and the National Australia Bank supported this move by giving loans to the non-profit organization. This was the period that highly capitalized on quality as a vital component of the Government’s agenda.
Educational Philosophy
In Australia, early childhood education is not compulsory and is delivered through childcare centers and kindergartens. During the early years of growth, children are bound to experience changes, both physical and emotional. It is in the best interest of every party concerned to ensure this innocence of mind and creativity is positively influenced by the aim of growing future leaders.
The ECEC system in Australia offers both education-only and integrated ECEC programs. The programs are available in categories regarding age, i.e., for children of 0-3 years, there is a variety of accredited services which include long day care and family day care, provided by qualified personnel. For children from 3-4 years, there is preschool education offered by accredited institutions and qualified personnel. Pre-primary education or preschool is of shorter durations as it is the age where children enter school. (OECD, 2016).
With there being many centers for ECEC, it is clear that for a center to prosper, it must hold a philosophy that overcomes all others regarding results, motivation, and character building in children.
An ECEC center which focuses on the wholesome development of children is one of preference for me as a teacher. The center must be able to observe the children at that early age and develop methods of analysis for the child’s behavioral traits which in the end will help the personnel in guiding the child towards their talents and capabilities. The center should also be able to accommodate disabled children and provide equally judged competitions, both sport and academic wise, for all children to enable the disabled children to achieve goals higher than what the world expects of them. Through doing that the center will be able to achieve a wholesome group of children who will have a greater chance of survival in the always cunning world. This will also enable them to focus their energies on the ideas instilled in them by their instructors in career choices and life choices altogether. At the same time, it will also enhance their innovation skills and creative thinking leading to discoveries which may one day change the world.
An Early Childhood Teacher
An ECEC teacher is an individual who has the best interest of all parties involved at heart. To a child, the teacher should be a person who respects all the children rights as per the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (1989). A teacher can recognize and respect the bond between families and ensure they know their boundaries when it comes to these matters. The teacher should also be able to recognize the specific talents and requirements of each child and facilitate them in all ways possible. A teacher should respect the rights of privacy of families. To the employer, the teacher should adhere and achieve all requirements and specifications as outlined by the employer and by so doing ensure a conducive working condition for both. And to the community and the government, a teacher should be able to provide a wholesome student by the end of the term of education who will not only please the family but will go ahead to achieve greater purposes for the goodness of the community and the country at large. (ECA Code of Ethics 2015).
In conclusion, early childhood education in Australia is a wholesome program which is meant to provide early learners with a picture of the world they are growing into. The setting not only caters to educational needs but also family needs where the parents are both workers. It is a great boost for the Australian economy and education.
Annotated Bibliography
Early Childhood Australia, 2015, ECA Code of Ethics – Early Childhood Australia retrieved 14 April 2018, <http://www.imagineeducation.com.au/files/GapTraining/ECA_code_of_ethics.pdf>.
The journal here is a list of responsibilities, means of conduct and relations to all the parties involved in an early childhood education center. It is a code of ethics that provides a framework for insight and reflection for early childhood professionals. It also provides values and ethics considered core to the code of ethics which include respect, cultural responsibility, education, responsiveness, social responsibility inclusivity, democracy, honesty among others.
Farmer, S, Dockett, S, & Arthur, L 2014, ‘Chapter 5 Developing Philosophies’ in Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings, Cengage Learning Australia, London. Available from: ProQuest EBook Central.
The authors here are aiming at reaching the potential or current teacher/professional in ECEC. The information is aimed at opening one’s mind to the possibilities, the current and the future of early childhood education in the purpose of providing holistic programs for all children in Australia as a country without discrimination or favor. It also provides key information in planning for the education settings for the ultimate benefit of the child and the community.
Logan, H 2012, ‘The Quality Imperative: Tracing the rise of ‘quality’ in Australian early childhood education and care policy’ in Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 37 Issue 3, retrieved 14 April, < http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=7a908969-410e-4284-8c6d-a890e230cb25%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPXNzbyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=82073823&db=a9h>.
Logan in this journal takes the reader through the journey of ECEC in Australia. The historical events and landmarks are all mentioned, highlighting the growth of ECEC and emphasizing on why everyone should take the ECEC system seriously for all and sundry.
Tayler, C 2012, ‘Learning in Australian early childhood education and care settings: changing professional practice ‘in International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, Vol. 40, 2012, Issue 1: Australian Insights, Routledge, London.
Tyler in the International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, stimulates the reader’s mind into picturing themselves in the system. You are presented with firsthand information on the ups and downs involved in the ECDC system.
Sorin, R 2005, ‘Changing images of Childhood – Reconceptualising early childhood practice’ in International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, Vol. 1, 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2018, <https://extranet.education.unimelb.edu.au/LED/tec/pdf/journal_sorin.pdf>.
Sorin takes one through the different characters of children in an early education center and provides clear information on how each character requires being handled to ensure an expected positive result from the child.
Wong, S & Press, F 2016, The development of early childhood education and care in Australia (eds) Ailwood, J, Boyd, W & Theobald in Understanding Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, pp. 13-33.
The book provides the stages of development of a child and the character traits expected in each, giving insightful information to the teacher on the handling of each child’s character differently with patience and care to ensure the complete growth of the child.
References
Early Childhood Australia, 2015, ECA Code of Ethics – Early Childhood Australia retrieved 14 April 2018, <http://www.imagineeducation.com.au/files/GapTraining/ECA_code_of_ethics.pdf>.
Farmer, S, Dockett, S, & Arthur, L 2014, ‘Chapter 5 Developing Philosophies’ in Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings, Cengage Learning Australia, London. Available from: ProQuest EBook Central.
Logan, H 2012, ‘The Quality Imperative: Tracing the rise of ‘quality’ in Australian early childhood education and care policy’ in Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 37 Issue 3, retrieved 14 April 2018, < http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=7a908969-410e-4284-8c6d-a890e230cb25%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPXNzbyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=82073823&db=a9h>.
Sorin, R 2005, ‘Changing images of Childhood – Reconceptualising early childhood practice’ in International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, Vol. 1, 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2018, <https://extranet.education.unimelb.edu.au/LED/tec/pdf/journal_sorin.pdf>.
Tayler, C 2012, ‘Learning in Australian early childhood education and care settings: changing professional practice ‘in International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, Vol. 40, 2012, Issue 1: Australian Insights, Routledge, London.
Wong, S & Press, F 2016, The development of early childhood education and care in Australia (eds) Ailwood, J, Boyd, W & Theobald in Understanding Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, pp. 13-33.
