Who Has Rights to What? Inclusion in Australian Early Childhood Programs

Abstract

In early childhood settings prior to school and in the early years of primary school, debate continues over the meaning of inclusion and its scope in terms of the groups under consideration. The genealogies of early childhood education and care, early primary school, special education and cultural education were examined to identify recurring and emerging approaches to inclusion within Australian programs for children from birth to eight years. Approaches to inclusion encompassing multiple forms of diversity coexist in the Australian educational literature with targeted approaches focused on disabilities or risk. These differing approaches reflect underlying ideological divisions and varying assumptions about diversity. Multiple approaches, including the expansion of early childhood services, reflect tensions over children's rights, conceptualizations of inclusion, the expectations of teachers, system coordination, economic constraints and political pressure to cater for a complex range of young children in varied settings. The article incorporates discussion on underlying philosophical tensions within the early childhood field.

‘I’m learning how to do it’: reflecting on the implementation of a new assessment tool in an Australian Early Childhood

“…For example, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2017) advocates for a strength-cased approach for early childhood teachers when writing transition statements to the early years of school. However, Petriwskyj (2010) contends that "debate continues over the relative merits of these approaches, the rights of specific diversity groups, the capacity of early childhood teachers to enact inclusion, and the possibility that attention to broader diversity categories increases labelling at the expense of effective educational reform" (342). This suggests that while there is consensus about inclusion as important for early childhood education, the enactment and pedagogy around inclusion appear problematic.…”

Perceptions and Practices of Inclusion in Malaysian Integrated Preschools

“…Despite the current importance placed on inclusion in education (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2005;Petriwskyj, 2010), there remain numerous practical inconsistencies in the field (Odom, 2000;Wearmouth, Berryman, & Glynn, 2009). The argument as to what amounts to inclusion is ongoing, with the majority of schools carrying out inclusion in their own unique way, adapting and accommodating it to the needs of their individual students and communities (Carrington, 2006;Inos & Quigley, 1995;Refice, 2006).…”