Children's Rights and Early Childhood Policy: Impacts and Influences

One, Sarah Te

doi:10.26686/nzaroe.v0i14.1494

“…Elsewhere, we too have claimed that there is a history of New Zealand early childhood education policies and other initiatives 2 that support children's rights (Dalli, 2002;Dalli & Mitchell, 1995;Dalli & Te One, 2002; see also May, 2001;Smith, 1996Smith, , 2002Smith, , 2007aSmith, , 2007b. However, while in many cases early childhood policies have complied with the provisions of the UNCRC, their relevance to it has often been assumed rather than articulated (Te One, 2004) and the UNCRC has not been identified overtly as their starting point. Nevertheless many early childhood policies can be held up as examples of how policies support children's provision and participation rights.…”

Section: Children's Rights As a Lens For Analysing The Policy Infrastmentioning

confidence: 99%

The status of children's rights in early childhood education policy 2009

One¹,

Dalli²

2009

nzaroe

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Under the current National-led government the combined effects of a new political agenda and a world-wide recession have resulted in a discernible shift in policy priorities. Using a children’s rights-based lens, this paper considers changes in early childhood policy during 2009 and argues that these shifts impact the integrity of the 10-year early childhood Strategic Plan introduced in 2002. They also put in question whether children’s rights to high-quality early childhood education policy are really taken seriously within the policy arena. The issue of government’s role in providing high quality early childhood services is highlighted as one that derives from children’s citizenship rights. The paper concludes that a new critical ecology of the early childhood sector is emerging which uses a children’s rights perspective to evaluate current policy and envision possible futures.

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“…Calls for children's participation in democratic decision-making align with the literature on children's rights both internationally (Brandtzaeg, 2006;Håøy, 2005) and in New Zealand (Dalli & Te One, 2002;Te One, 2004. However, within New Zealand, only Te One (in preparation) has explored how children's rights are enacted within centre contexts, and no descriptions of New Zealand children taking a role in centre decision-making was located.…”

Section: Examples Include Children Having Input Into Such Decisions As Which Topic Tomentioning

confidence: 89%

Skirmishes on the Border: How Children Experienced, Influenced and Enacted the Boundaries of Curriculum in an Early Childhood Education Centre Setting

Stephenson¹

0

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<p>The notion of curriculum as contested was central to this thesis. In particular, the focus was on how children (aged from 8 months to 5 years) experienced and influenced the scope of curriculum and participated in the process in defining what constituted null curriculum in one New Zealand childcare centre. Qualitative methods were used to investigate this process of setting curriculum boundaries. Participant observations over five months yielded detailed observations, and these were supplemented by conversations with children which occurred in the context of a range of research strategies; children's perspectives have been foregrounded throughout. Data generation and analysis was guided by principles of the generic inductive qualitative model. Critical pedagogy and the sociology of childhood together provided the theoretical and methodological framework for the study, and 'strategies of dislocation' were devised to assist in seeing unfamiliar aspects in a familiar context. The central source of curriculum boundaries was found to be the assumed demarcation between adults and children; not only did this wider social norm influence the teachers, but it was also found to be embedded within the physical structure and organisation of the centre. It is argued this generational division conflicted with teachers' commitment to implementing sociocultural practices. The core of curriculum for children was found to be relationships with others. However, many relationships were characterised by a dialectic tension between a desire to establish relationships and be accepted within the community, and a desire to exercise control/power. It is argued that these two concerns were significant aspects of curriculum for children. Children's focus on gender and their individual interests also influenced the scope of curriculum, although children's ability to introduce interests depended upon how conducive the physical and social environment was to their expression. Teachers' and children's interpretation of what constituted null curriculum varied. Some aspects, and particularly the body, appeared to be null curriculum for all. Children used strategies of resistance to introduce new elements into the curriculum. Findings from the thesis are aligned with those of other recent qualitative studies in similar New Zealand settings and implications for the early childhood profession are discussed, particularly in relation to scrutinising the image of the child that is implied in practices, and challenging assumptions about the roles of adults and children, as a first step towards dismantling expectations that currently limit the potential scope of curriculum.</p>

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“…The finding in this thesis that teachers avoided overt displays of authority, and habitually used positive strategies affirms findings from Brennan (2005). Although only early results are available from Te One's investigation of how teachers and children perceive children's rights in early childhood settings (Te One, 2004, and how these rights are enacted, her work is likely to provide further insight relating to power dynamics.…”

Section: Alignment Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Giving children greater input into decisions leads into the arena of children's rights, which is an emerging debate for the New Zealand profession (Te One, 2004. Laevers (2005) suggests the consequences of respecting children's rights are only just becoming apparent.…”

Section: Addressing Generational Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Skirmishes on the Border: How Children Experienced, Influenced and Enacted the Boundaries of Curriculum in an Early Childhood Education Centre Setting

Stephenson¹

1

0

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<p>The notion of curriculum as contested was central to this thesis. In particular, the focus was on how children (aged from 8 months to 5 years) experienced and influenced the scope of curriculum and participated in the process in defining what constituted null curriculum in one New Zealand childcare centre. Qualitative methods were used to investigate this process of setting curriculum boundaries. Participant observations over five months yielded detailed observations, and these were supplemented by conversations with children which occurred in the context of a range of research strategies; children's perspectives have been foregrounded throughout. Data generation and analysis was guided by principles of the generic inductive qualitative model. Critical pedagogy and the sociology of childhood together provided the theoretical and methodological framework for the study, and 'strategies of dislocation' were devised to assist in seeing unfamiliar aspects in a familiar context. The central source of curriculum boundaries was found to be the assumed demarcation between adults and children; not only did this wider social norm influence the teachers, but it was also found to be embedded within the physical structure and organisation of the centre. It is argued this generational division conflicted with teachers' commitment to implementing sociocultural practices. The core of curriculum for children was found to be relationships with others. However, many relationships were characterised by a dialectic tension between a desire to establish relationships and be accepted within the community, and a desire to exercise control/power. It is argued that these two concerns were significant aspects of curriculum for children. Children's focus on gender and their individual interests also influenced the scope of curriculum, although children's ability to introduce interests depended upon how conducive the physical and social environment was to their expression. Teachers' and children's interpretation of what constituted null curriculum varied. Some aspects, and particularly the body, appeared to be null curriculum for all. Children used strategies of resistance to introduce new elements into the curriculum. Findings from the thesis are aligned with those of other recent qualitative studies in similar New Zealand settings and implications for the early childhood profession are discussed, particularly in relation to scrutinising the image of the child that is implied in practices, and challenging assumptions about the roles of adults and children, as a first step towards dismantling expectations that currently limit the potential scope of curriculum.</p>

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Children's Rights and Early Childhood Policy: Impacts and Influences

Cited by 5 publications

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The status of children's rights in early childhood education policy 2009

The status of children's rights in early childhood education policy 2009

Skirmishes on the Border: How Children Experienced, Influenced and Enacted the Boundaries of Curriculum in an Early Childhood Education Centre Setting

Skirmishes on the Border: How Children Experienced, Influenced and Enacted the Boundaries of Curriculum in an Early Childhood Education Centre Setting

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