Listening to Hong Kong children's perspectives through pretend play

Abstract

Quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) has become an increasing concern in recent years. The issue has been regularly discussed by different stakeholders. However, the rising concern regarding quality in ECEC has not seriously taken into account children's perspectives. Hong Kong, with its academic‐driven education system, is no exception. Children's perspectives have been neglected under the impact of neoliberalism on education in Chinese society. Engaging with children's perspectives has thus become an important matter in Hong Kong society. In April 2019, a children's pretend‐play project was started in an open playground in Hong Kong. This project aimed to help children regain their subjectivities and share their thoughts through the process of pretend play. Children in this project were invited to create, pretend and imagine themselves in the role of superheroes so that they could express their perspectives. This alternative practice opened a space for children to liberate themselves through pretend‐play activities, while reworking the conventional pedagogies found in the neoliberal education system. The findings offer critical reflections on how to improve quality in ECEC by redeveloping trust and respect among adults and children through listening to children's perspectives.