Identity: The Early Childhood Profession(al) EDU40003

Assignment 1: Report

Identity: The Early Childhood Profession(al) EDU40003

Executive summary

Development during the early years lays the groundwork for lifelong education. Children learn crucial life skills in their early years, including how to think critically, communicate effectively, regulate their emotions, solve issues, and build connections. All of this can be accomplished by providing high-quality childcare settings to improve children learning and growth. Quality early childhood education (ECE) provides children with the strongest beginning in life. It offers significant chances to grow and learn. Additionally, it assists with their adjustment to school (NSW Government, 2020).

This report is formulated for the council to promote the establishment of a new early childhood service that is based on the community. This report will define early childhood professionals first, then highlight the key characteristics and complexities that early childhood educators face. In addition, this report will outline major policies, trends in ECE and give a brief comparison of the Australian settings to the international settings. The conclusion of this report includes some recommendations for the council to consider in the future. It highlights that reassessing pay, boosting professional identity and professional growth, acknowledging the field of education and communities, and recruiting more males to engage in the early childhood sector will help the profession.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary2Introduction5

Glossary6Characteristics of the EC profession in Australia7Respect for diversity7

Passion8

Challenges8Low pay8

Lack of Recognition8

Gender Imbalance9

Trends and movements influencing ECE9Technology9

Reggio Emilia9

Forest Kindergarten10

Key legal obligations and policies11Australian government reform agenda for EC11

National Quality Standard and enhanced regulatory arrangements11

A national Early Years Learning Framework13

Indigenous initiatives aimed at Closing the Gap13

Mandatory reporting13

United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child13

6 SWOT Analysis14Conclusion15

Recommendations15

References16

Introduction

Early childhood professionals play an important role in providing early-year experiences. An early childhood professional (ECP) has the skills, experience, and knowledge needed to manage a curriculum that guides and supports children's development and growth (Kile, 2018). ECP creates strong relationships with the children in their care, and their conversations, actions, and teaching methods all have an impact on the children's growth and eventual preparedness for school (The Early Childhood Care and Education Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities: A Workshop Report 2011). According to studies, quality ECEC enhances children's readiness for school and provides opportunities for professional development. Children who are ready for school are more likely to succeed in successive years (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022). Even though the industry is viewed as compassionate and caring, there is growing disagreement about early childhood educators' credentials and ongoing career advancement (Maloney, 2010). Unfortunately, early childhood educators always struggled for professional recognition.

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Figure 1: Early childhood: The importance of early years, 2019.

The purpose of this report is to emphasize the characteristics and complexities of the EC profession. It also includes benefits and drawbacks as well as current trends and movements that affect it in Australia.

Glossary:

ECP Early childhood professionals

ECE Early childhood education

ECEC Early childhood education and care

ECEs Early childhood educators

EYLF Early years learning framework

REA Reggio Emilia Approach

EYCE Early years care & education

NQS National quality Standard

NQF National Quality Framework

ICT Information and Communication

technology

FK Forest Kindergarten

COAG Council of Australian Governments

Characteristics of the EC profession in Australia:

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Figure 2: Starting Strong: Mapping Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care.2021.

Respect for diversity- Respect for diversity is an important part of the job that ECP do daily to create a more socially just community for all. Every child has a different personality and learning style when they first come to ECEC. Instead of requiring children to follow a certain pattern, ECP recognizes their diversity and works with each child's preferred method of learning (Bean-Mellinger, 2018). Respecting diversity allows childcare professionals to celebrate differences and motivate families to take part in cultural events. These actions not only enable the children to increase their self-esteem but also act as examples and advance an inclusive practice (Cultural Diversity in Childcare, 2022). The Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) emphasizes respect for diversity as one of the fundamental ideas guiding early childhood educational practice (Exploring diversity and equity in education and care services, n.d).

Passion- It is not easy to work as an early childhood educator. There are always difficulties. However, if a person is driven by a desire to make a difference, that sense of accomplishment can sustain and motivate them. Children will respond positively to an ECP who is passionate about teaching and assisting them in learning. Children will achieve their developmental milestones if they are guided with strong commitment and devotion. Because passionate educators care about the child's learning and development, they are eager to learn and experiment with new teaching strategies and activities. Passionate teachers commit their entire being to every moment they spend with the children (Colker, 2008).

Challenges:

Low pay -It may be challenging to feel confident in the job choice and to stay in the position over the long run due to the low earnings in the ECE roles. The early childhood profession has progressed significantly in incorporating new information about the value of supporting children's development in the early years (Page, 2020). According to Waniganayake (2017), working with young children requires a lot of physical, mental, and emotional energy. Regrettably, the pay does not reflect the amount of work that professionals in this field do.

Lack of Recognition- Early childhood educators' job has historically been devalued. Since the 1930s, ECEs have had to contend with the misconception that they are babysitters so that parents may go to work (Page,2020). ECEs in Australia feel overworked and underappreciated. According to research More than 200 educators experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed to virus and significantly degraded their health. Throughout the pandemic, educators believed that government decision-making was being neglected. They have previously argued that early learning should be acknowledged as being important for life pathways (Levickis, et al., 2021).

Gender Imbalance- As ECEs are one of the world's unequal occupations, the childcare industry is typically dominated by women. According to Census data from 2016, female educators make up 95% of the workforce in Australia, compared to 4.9% of male educators (Care for Kids,2018). Furthermore, on a national average, only 5% of all Australians starting a career as a child career are male. Early childhood sectors should promote male educators as children and their families will benefit from a gender- balanced learning environment because it helps children think more critically about the real gender composition of the society they must learn to navigate (Care for Kids,2018). Male participation in ECE will benefit children, and the ECP and society should be more inclusive and supportive of men working with young children so that they do not experience isolation (Makuna, Mutsotso, 2011).

Trends and movements influencing ECE:

Technology- In ECE, technology is a persistent trend. Experts in early childhood education must always keep a balance between using technology to enhance learning and promoting digital resiliency since they know that children are likely to use gadgets at home (Flavin, 2020). The ECA developed its Statement on Young Children and Digital Technology in response to a recognition of a need for guidance on how digital technologies should be used for young children in early childhood education care (ECA, 2018). Now educators use a variety of web-based tools for documentation, planning, and parent communication, such as Educa, Kinder m8, Kindy hub, and Story Park, which enable subscription through smartphone applications. These Services are used to report procedures and connect with families and other educators about children's development (Dewey, et al.,2019). Educators have started adopting ICT gadgets such as tablets, Pads to teach children phonics such as reading eggs and other languages such as the Ella programs.

Reggio Emilia Approach- Reggio Emilia is an approach to early childhood learning which is trending a lot all over the world. In Australia Educators using the Reggio Emilia approach thinks that children are considered active, capable, and valued members of

the community and should have some influence over their learning (Hall, 2013). Since a solid foundation of experiences enables each child to reach their full potential, they are encouraged to explore, enquire about, and understand the world throughout the first five years of life (Nido Early school, 2021). The combination of Reggio Emilia's basic principles with highly qualified skills and knowledge enables this philosophy to fulfill the world's growing needs. Finally, the globalization of this method has influenced teaching techniques across the world. To help children grow emotionally and cognitively, ECPs throughout the world are incorporating Reggio Emilia concepts into schools and daycare centres. The concept of this philosophy has been implemented in numerous preschools in the United States. REA is supported and promoted throughout Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela by the Latin American organization Red SOLARE. Due to changes in its educational system, Africa has shown interest in using the RE model. St. Mary's School in South Africa is an example of such an application (Foerch, D & Iuspa, F,2016).

The Forest Kindergarten- Forest Kindergarten (FK) is based on the Forest School approach and emphasizes child-centered learning through play in the early years. FK takes children on an outing to a local or natural setting like woods, a park, or even a beach (Robb, 2021). Some of this trend has taken hold in New South Wales, with new bush kindergartens opening every year to provide energetic children with healthy outdoor play. The forest classroom concept might be Germany's next major export, with nations all over the world adopting it in response to the uncontrolled electronics, soft play areas, and indoor name of safety that seems to govern most playgrounds and classrooms (Ackland, 2020). As part of FK learning and teaching methodologies, educators work with students to improve their language and communication skills, physical activity levels, emotional stability, and self-confidence. As parents become more aware of the negative effects of test-taking on the social and emotional development of children, forest schools are becoming more and more popular in the United States. Therefore, educators are going back to the basics of early childhood education and adopting a holistic strategy that focuses more on social and emotional

abilities, not just academic knowledge (Vogel, 2021) The Pan American Health Organization (OPS) estimates that 6.9% of children in the Caribbean, 7.4% of children under five in Central America, and 7.4% of children under five in South America are obese. Promoting outdoor education projects in Latin American schools will facilitate more learning and lower obesity rates (Guijosa, 2018).

Key legal obligations and policies:

Australian government reform agenda for EC-The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is leading a nationwide effort to reform the early education system in Australia. The Australian Government's Agenda seeks to offer early childhood education and care to all Australian children and to expand ECP engagement in the profession (Elliot, 2006). State-by-state policies differ in key areas including the school entry age, the educational qualifications for childcare providers, and the cost of various services to families. The Australian government has been working to develop a more uniform national strategy for EC education since 2007 (Waniganayake, et al., 2017). COAG endorsed a new national quality agenda in November 2008, intending to transform early childhood education and care. Early childhood was identified as a critical phase in child development, and according to global data investing in early childhood care for disadvantaged families children would provide significant returns (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). As a result, in 2009, (COAG) proposed a national ECE reform that comprised the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Standard [NQS], which involve basic standards and consistency criteria among ECE services in Australia (ECA, 2011). The National Quality Framework (NQF) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) are two of the most important areas in the National Quality Agenda (NQA) (ECA, 2011).

National Quality Standard and enhanced regulatory arrangements-The National Quality Framework (NQF) is a national approach to regulation, evaluation, and quality improvement for early childhood education and care services in Australia. In 2012, the NQF implemented a new quality standard to improve teaching and care in

long day care, family daycare preschool/ kindergarten, and after-school care (ACECQA,2020a). The NQF contains the following: National Law and National Regulations, National Quality Standard, assessment and quality rating process, and national learning frameworks.

The National Quality Standard (NQS) in Australia establishes a high national standard for early childhood education and care and out-of-school care services. The NQS contains seven quality areas that have a significant impact on children's outcomes. The regulatory authority assesses and rates services against the NQS, assigning a rating to each of the seven quality categories and an overall rating based on the results (ACECQA,2020b).

The Australian government has developed a tiered rating system in addition to the regulatory and quality framework. Education and care services are evaluated and graded by the regulatory authorities in each state and territory. This policy strategy tries to give parents and communities more precise information about the caliber of service while also motivating services to compete for the best rating, making them more attractive in the vicious market (ACECQA,2020c).

Figure 3: National Quality Framework.

A national Early Years Learning Framework- The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), an important component of the NQS, offers parents, caregivers, and educators a comprehensive reference to learning and growth from infant to five years old (ECA, 2011). When preparing purposeful learning experiences for all children, ECPs follow the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), which includes specified learning outcomes (Department of Education and Training, 2019).

Indigenous initiatives aimed at Closing the Gap- One of the main goals of the COAG reform agenda is to eliminate the disparity in developmental outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children through government policy. A new National Partnership Agreement between the states/territories and the Australian government has been established as a result of recent changes to the Closing the Gap strategy (ECA,2011). The Australian government is providing additional funding to each of the state and territory governments to carry out focused efforts to close the gap. The NQS will include all Indigenous services as part of the National Partnership Agreement (ECA, 2011).

Mandatory reporting- Mandatory reporting is a legal obligation that requires persons to record any suspicious incidents of child abuse or neglect in the care of others. All jurisdictions in Australia have obligatory reporting rules. The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 governs obligatory reporting in New South Wales (the Care Act) (Mandatory reporting, 2021). According to Section 84 of the Education and Care National Law (2010), ECP must be informed of the applicable current child protection law in their state or territory, as well as any duties they may have under the child protection law (Legislation and policy guide, n.d). As a result, all ECP renew their child protection certificate on an annual basis, so that if there are any changes in law and regulation, they can comply.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989, has been approved by all countries, and is accepted as international

law. On December 17, 1990, Australia adopted the UNCRC, which covers the full spectrum of children's human rights, including social, economic, cultural, civic, and democratic life, assures the rights set forth for all children. (Legislation and policy guide, n.d).

SWOT ANALYSIS:

STRENGTH:

Respect for other culture

Strong collaboration with families and communities

Educators have knowledge of digital technology

Passionate educators

Educators are enthusiastic towards adapting different approaches

Qualified educators who have knowledge of NQS & EYLF WEAKNESS:

Male workforce shortfall

Lack of professional development

Lack of recognition

Cost of initial setup

OPPORTUNITIES:

Encourage more male to work as ECP

Providing professional development courses

Community involvement

Learning aboriginal culture THREAT:

Due to the low wages of the ECP, recruitment can be challenging.

Increased employee retention as a result of burnout and ratio

Lack of funding from

government

Cost and service competition between services.

Conclusion: This report discovered that in Australia's present ECE context there is always a demand for EYCE services for these services must be of excellent quality to make an impact on children's learning. But ECEC has faced and continues to face several difficulties and changes throughout its existence. Low pay, a lack of professional identity, and gender inequality have a detrimental impact not only on turnover and recruiting but also on the qualifications of the ECE workforce. With the implementation of policies and guidelines like the EYLF and the NQF, educators have been better able to connect with children and their families and have been inspired to think about and respect many cultures. Given all the current movements and trends, educators are now highly passionate and innovative about implementing new methods like Reggio Emilia and forest kindergarten. Technology is being adapted by ECPs for both their professional development and for educating children to improve their abilities. To get the best results, investments in curriculum, high-quality early care settings, and competent early childhood personnel are required. As a result, investing in high-quality education and care environments allows children to attain their full capabilities.

Recommendations: The following recommendations have been offered for the development, and financing, of a new early childhood service centered in the community:

Wages must be reassessed and increased.

Recognition and appreciation for the ECEC profession are required by the government, school sector, and community.

Recruiting and encouraging more males to work as an educator.

All educators should have access to regular training so they can remain updated on industry rules and regulations.

Regular professional development courses, webinars, or seminars for how to embed Reggio Emilia, forest kindergarten, and play-based theory in the learning environment.

Indigenous cultural training and adaptation to the environment.

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