Pedagogical Implications

Where after all, do universal human rights begin?

In small places, close to home

So close and so small that they cannot be seen

On any maps of the world.

Yet, they are the world of the individual person;

the neighbourhood he lives in...

Unless these rights have meaning there,

they have little meaning anywhere

By Eleanor Roosevelt (Meissner, 2007)

 

Dr Simon Rowley announced in 2009, that infants attending day care, could well be at risk of brain damage (Woodfield). Rowley measured the amount of the stress hormone cortisol present in an infant during a typical day at day care. He then compared them to cortisol levels of infants at home. Cortisol levels in daycare infants were considerably higher (Woodfield).  Infants have no agency, no way of making decisions for their own care, and unlike older children, no voice to convey their opinions.

As infants in our centres are an increasingly reality. Quality care and education centres with caring responsive teachers need to be our highest priority for this age group.

There are at least four key points that I consider essential for quality pedagogical teaching in infant and toddler care and education

 

1) Group size - Infants were never intended to be cared for in large unfamiliar groups of other infants. Infants thrive with a close bond in close proximity to at least one main caregiver. Usually the mother, however good bonds can occur with other adults, as long as that caregiver is responsive, loving and consistent (van Duivan, 2009). Therefore, we need to replicate this in our infant centres using primary caregivers who are passionate about this age group, and not just 'placeholding' positions.

2) Ratios - It is not profitable or possible to provide one to one care in a daycare situation, but we do need to strive to keep low ratios a priority in our infant settings. Research suggests 1:3 is optimal (Ministry of Education, 2015).

3) Teacher Qualifications - We need teachers in infant centres who are qualified and who are passionate about this age group and its specific developmental needs. Teachers need to be responsive to infant needs, and provide developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Specialised teaching strategies need to be used, including in my opinion an adapted version of the Pikler philosophy, which seeks to maximise care moments based on a healthy respect of the individual infant.  

4) Physical Surroundings - An infants environment is extremely important. It should replicate a home environment as much as possible, while providing opportunities for discovery and learning. I personally really like Te Whariki's description that infant care needs to not be "a scaled-down version of the 3- or 4-year-old programme, nor a babysitting arrangement" (Ministry of Education, 1996).

 

In June 2011, the government employed a taskforce reporting on the issues facing increasing numbers of infant and toddlers in childcare in NZ. The resulting report is called Agenda for Amazing Children. The report highlighted the following recommendations:

• 1:4 Ratios
• Special government group set up to advice on under two's
• Further funding: Higher subsidy
• Address toxic stress in poor quality ECE settings
• Ongoing research
• Stringent policy- Standardised care
• Tightening of ERO monitoring & evaluation
• Review of home-based sector
• Staff qualification

(Ministry Of Education, 2011).

BREAKING NEWS 20/04/2015
The NZ Herald today claimed that children in NZ day care services may be at risk of developmental damage in poor quality settings. The investigation by the Herald stated that these poor quality settings can be especially harmful to under two's.
This report stated that the most serious issues included a lack of supervision, poor management, no police vetting of staff, a lack of cultural response, and limited knowledge of the curriculum and child development.

Reference List

Johnstone, K. (2015) Early childhood services red-flagged. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11435235

Meissner, S. (2007). Sticks & stones. Eugene, Or: Harvest House Publishers.
Ministry of Education. (2011). An agenda for amazing children. Retrieved from www.taskforce.ece.govt.nz/wp.../2011/.../Final_Report_ECE_Taskforce.

Ministry of Education. (2015). Education Counts. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/ECE/Quality_ECE_for_under-two-year-olds/executive-summary.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o    Aotearoa/Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning media.

Woodfield, M. (May/June). Whats wrong with daycare. Oh Baby, 8(10). Retrieved from             http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/under-5/early-childhood-education/what-is-wrong-with-daycare.

van Duivan, K. (2009, June 20). Choosing Quality Childcare. Retrieved from http://www.brainwave.org.nz/choosing-quality-childcare/#more-4338.

 



Historical Context

The need for care for infants and toddlers is not a new phenomena. Mothers throughout history have always worked away from home in certain situations. However, childcare for under two year olds has traditionally been handled by family. Grandmothers, sisters, paid nannies or close whanau mainly provided care when the mother needed to be away from home. However, some infants were placed in formal care arrangements, prompting the government of 1893 to introduce the 'Infant Life Protection Act' (Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 2014), This meant that any families that were paid for looking after infants under the age of two for more than three days had to be licensed as foster homes and were subject to police inspection (Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 2014).

 However, formalised childcare was still held in deep suspicion, and deemed inappropriate for infants. This view was reinforced by the case of Minnie Dean, who in 1895 claimed to provide care for infants, yet neglected those in her care, some to the point of death (Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 2012).

 

World War 2 was a major factor in changing social prejudice towards formalised childcare for infants. By 1944, all women between the ages of 18 - 40 were required to work when directed to. However, married women who had children under the age of 16, could be exempted from this forced work if no suitable childcare could be arranged (Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 2014). By the end of the war 38,000 women had been drafted into work where the government directed, making the need for childcare a social reality.

 

In 1988, The government announced its findings from the Meade Report. (Education to be more). This report looked at the childs social development analysed in relation to the well being of society. The report looked specifically at

• The relationship of early childhood education in relation to the entire education system.
• The need for equitable access to ECE education.
• The need for equitable funding and funding processes.
• Budgetary effects of government interventions.

This report led to early childhood education becoming state funded, provided and regulated (Adams, Hamer & Openshaw, 2005).  

 

New Zealand's increasing shift towards neo liberalism saw National announce its desire to increase participation in the workforce by encouraging women back into the workforce to increase gross domestic product. To do this the government focussed on a wider social agenda which saw childcare and parental leave becoming a strong focus for the government (Johnstone, 2005). This focus has seen younger and younger children enter childcare.

 

In 2007, National launched its 20 hours free programme for three and four year olds, which sought to provide financial help to encourage women into the workforce. This has in some ways contributed to institutionalised childcare becoming a normalised and acceptable service to attend. The trickle down effect is that younger and younger children are attending, which has led to the explosion of infant and toddler services now available in the community.

 

Census data showed that 37 per cent of parents of children under 1, and 57 per cent of parents of 1-year-olds, were either in or seeking paid work in 2013.

 





Reference List

Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2014). Baby farmers. Retrieved from  http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/baby-farmers. updated 14-Aug-2014
Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). From childcare to baby farming.  Retrieved from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/baby-farmers/fearful-slaughter. updated 20-Dec-2012
Ministry for Culture and Heritage, (2012). War work Retrieved from  http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/second-world-war-at-home/war-work. updated 20-Dec-2012
Johnstone, G. (2005). Women’s Labour Force Participation in New Zealand and the OECD  Retrieved from www.treasury.govt.nz/...policy/...workshops/labourforce/.../lfpw-johnstone
Adams, P., Hamer, J., & Openshaw, R. (2005). Education and Society in Aoteoroa New Zealand. Auckland, New Zealand: Cengage Learning.

Introduction to Under Two's in NZ Childcare

This blog will seek to address the issues concerning the increased numbers of infants and toddlers attending group care and education settings. Historically, kindergartens and early childhood centres catered for children three and over. However, under two year olds in childcare in New Zealand is a rapidly growing phenomena. More and more childcare centres are now incorporating infants and toddlers into their curriculum.
There has been a change in the social attitude regarding this age group in care, which has been brought about by the current governments initiatives to see women return to the workplace as quickly as possible after birth (Rockel, 2013)

 

 

 

 

I am interested in this subject due to the fact that I am based in an infant and toddler centre as part of my ECE degree. I find it fascinating that infant and toddlers have the fastest growing number of enrolments in formal non-parental early childhood services (ECS) in New Zealand (Carroll-Lind & Angus, 2011). I would like to discover what policies and legislations are in place for this age group, and discuss what that means for them. 

 

 



 



Reference List

Rockel, J. (2013). Swings or Roundabouts? Re-Visiting changing views of care and education in the first years. The First Years: Nga Tau Tuatahi.15(1), 3-4.
Carroll-Lind, J. & Angus, J. (2011) Through their lens  An inquiry into  non-parental education and care of infants and toddlers. Retrieved from http://www.occ.org.nz