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We are all talking about the new sociology of childhood and how it positions children as full members of society. We are learning to think of children as having rights 'in the now', and not to think of ourselves as being responsible for making decisions on their behalf. Despite this, we still struggle with discourses that position the early years as a time to 'prepare' the future adult and citizen.
Smith invites us to consider the children's rights perspective and its close association with the new sociology of childhood. A rights perspective reminds us that culture and context affect children's experiences and how their rights are perceived and enacted. This helps us see children as participating beings who are capable and have agency. It is our role as early childhood professionals to ensure that we (and society) create the necessary spaces and opportunities for children to act.
A high-quality early childhood program addresses inequity; unfortunately, despite our best efforts, significant inequities abound in our services and society. Biddle discusses an example of current inequity: preschool attendance for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Young children are less likely to attend preschool as their family income and parental levels of education decline, and when they live in remote areas. The presence of staff from the same cultural background is likely to improve attendance, emphasising the significance of training adults from varying backgrounds.
Fleet, Kitson, Cassady and Hughes address this very issue, examining the factors that influence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in undertaking tertiary training in early childhood. The students reflect upon learning in the hegemonic culture, learning that is culturally appropriate, and managing of the boundaries between these different learnings.
Improving the accessibility of training programs is one strategy to increase the numbers of Indigenous early childhood workers. But this will not achieve its aim if graduates move out of the profession in search of more satisfying employment. Lyons and Smith remind us that workplace issues have a major impact on the quality of service delivery, because of their influence on staff retention and their ability to perform their roles effectively.
Working in less-than-ideal environments, experiencing high levels of daily stress, and receiving little recognition and status for the work undertaken, can lead to significant health risks. McGrath and Huntington report on a New Zealand study into such issues for early childhood (child care, kindergarten and in-home) workers. Administration, reporting requirements and long hours had a significant impact on wellbeing, affecting workers' ability to offer quality services to young children and their families.
The rights perspective emphasises the importance of the child and the child's experiences in the 'now'. Hyvönen and Kangas analysed children's drawings and discussions of desired play areas in an attempt to communicate to adults the matters of importance to children. They propose that emotions are a key factor in play, and that boys and girls inhabit different emotional worlds. Despite these gender differences, they found many common play interests between boys and girls (especially excitement and entertainment) that can be used to develop collaborative play experiences. It will be interesting to watch for future research into the study's pilot playful-learning environments.
Recognising children as holistic beings is an important component of the new perspective on childhood and the children's rights movement. This means we need to consider all areas of learning. Maher reports on a New Zealand study into numeracy. Teachers in this study did not feel as confident teaching numeracy as they did teaching literacy, with the consequence of unequal levels of children's achievement. Maher goes on to demonstrate the effectiveness of creating quality partnerships with parents within your program.
We need to reflect on our teaching strategies to ensure that we offer all children the best learning experiences. Boardman reports on a study using digital cameras and voice recordings to document children's achievements. She found that recording methods not only enhanced teachers' ability to document learning, but also helped them improve their teaching methods.
As early childhood professionals, we need to take responsibility for our own learning. We must challenge our thinking with new ways of looking at and understanding the world. We need to reflect on the taken-for-granted, and actively seek to keep our ideas fresh and our practice exemplary. Discussions, conferences and journals play a significant role in this; particularly when we can share our ideas with those from different countries, cultures and life experiences. This edition of AJEC offers a wonderful cross-section of articles from Australia, New Zealand and Finland. What a great opportunity to indulge in professional reflection and renewal. Enjoy!
Margaret Sims
AJEC Acting Editor
Edith Cowan University
Australian Journal of Early Childhood Volume 32 No 3 September 2007, pp. ii.
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