Moral philosophy, Te Whāriki and gender

Abstract

Early childhood practice in Aotearoa New Zealand is guided by Te Whāriki, a curriculum which is rich in moral concepts. While there are opportunities for early childhood educators in Aotearoa New Zealand to reflect upon moral concepts in their educational settings, it is the position of this paper that critical engagement with these concepts is hindered by two major factors: lack of exposition on the moral concepts maintained within the English version of the early childhood curriculum document, and a historical gendered divide between theory and practice in early childhood education Aotearoa New Zealand. To address these concerns, the author draws from the philosophical writings of Iris Murdoch with particular focus upon her concept of attention. The theoretical plurality in Te Whāriki and the maternal image of the early childhood teacher are discussed. The author articulates the opportunities offered by Murdoch’s vision to view the curriculum and the early childhood teacher anew.

Keywords:

• Early childhood education
• Iris Murdoch
• Te Whāriki
• moral concepts

Notes

1. This paper was produced prior to the release of the revised edition of Te Whāriki, published in 2017. Consequently, the arguments presented in this paper are written as a response to the 1996 version of Te Whāriki.