Friedrich Froebel: a path least trodden

ABSTRACT

Friedrich Froebel is well-known for the invention of kindergarten and the pioneering educational philosophy he developed in the 1800s, which respected children’s self activity and women’s capabilities for the role of teacher, while promoting play as the primary medium for learning. His radical ideas and principled approach to early childhood education and care have inspired generations of educators to hold true to creative progressive pedagogies and the integrity of early childhood in its own right. Illustrated by examples from Scotland and Aotearoa New Zealand, a new era in Froebelian education is aligned with the concepts of revolutionary critical pedagogy [McLaren, P. (1999). Schooling is a ritual performance: Toward a political economy of educational symbols. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Incorporated] and teacher activism [Sachs, J. (2003b). Teacher activism and mobilising the profession. Plenary address presented to the British Educational Research Association Conference. Heriot Watt University, 11–13 September 2003. https://researchgate.net/profile/Judyth_Sachs].

KEYWORDS:

• Froebel
• revolutionary
• critical
• pedagogies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 http://www.oecd.org/education/school/early-learning-and-child-well-being-study/

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lynn J. McNair

Dr Lynn J. McNair is Head of Cowgate Under Fives Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. Lynn has more than 30 years of experience working in Early Years Education and was awarded an OBE for services to Early Education in 2009. Web: https://www.cowgateunder5scentre.co.uk/; Twitter: @LynnMcNair

Sacha Powell

Dr Sacha Powell is Chief Executive Officer of The Froebel Trust, London and an Honorary Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Education University of Hong Kong. Web: www.froebel.org.uk; Twitter: @sachapowell1 @froebeltrust