Diversity in New Zealand early childhood education: challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACT

The early childhood education (ECE) sector in New Zealand has long been recognised for the diversity of service types and range of organisations involved in delivering ECE. However, less attention has been paid to diversity within individual ECE services. This article draws on a national survey carried out as part of a larger project, The Diversity of Diversity in Early Childhood Education, focusing on teachers’ perceptions of challenges and successes encountered when working with children from diverse family backgrounds. Educators’ attitudes towards diversity clearly influence whether they perceive working with diverse children and families positively or as a challenge. We argue that possessing positive dispositions and attitudes that enable educators to truly welcome, acknowledge and embrace diversity, together with access to professional knowledge and support services, are critical. The implications of this for policy and practice are then considered.

KEYWORDS:

• Early childhood education
• diversity
• educators
• families
• professional knowledge and support services

Acknowledgements

The project was undertaken by Sophie Alcock, Alison Barker, Feaua'i Burgess, Sue Cherrington, Ali Glasgow, Judith Loveridge, Jonine Nager, Luanna Meyer, Sonja Rosewarne and Mary Jane Shuker, and administered through the Jessie Hetherington Centre for Educational Research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on Contributors

Mary Jane Shuker is the Programme Director for Early Childhood Education in the Faculty of Education, Victoria University of Wellington. She has been involved in early childhood education for nearly 30 years, as a teacher and teacher educator. Mary Jane's research interests are focused broadly on two areas: issues of diversity in early childhood settings, and young children and popular culture.

Sue Cherrington is the Associate Dean (Students) in the Faculty of Education, Victoria University of Wellington. Sue has an extensive background in early childhood teaching and teacher education. Sue's research and teaching focuses on professional and pedagogical practices in early childhood education, including developing professional learning communities, ethics and professionalism and teacher thinking and reflection.

Notes

1 The Māori word for family, encompassing wide family networks, not just immediate family.

2 Kindergartens are teacher-led services predominately for three- and four-year-old children in ‘school-day’ programmes; Playcentres are parent-led sessional programmes primarily for two and a half to five-year-olds; Education and care services include sessional and full-day programmes for children from birth to five years, with some catering for children of particular ages or having distinct educational philosophies such as Steiner, Montessori or Pacific languages; Home-based services provide education and care in the caregiver's or child's home, with support from qualified, registered teachers; Kōhanga reo provide programmes in te reo Māori for children and whānau; The Correspondence School provides distance education for children between three and five years unable to attend an ECE service.

3 In this article we use the term ‘educator’ to include those working in both teacher-led and parent/whānau-led services. Similarly, when we refer to members of teams we use the term ‘staff’, even though some team members may undertake their roles voluntarily.

4 At the time data were collected, GSE, within the NZ Ministry of Education, was responsible for special education policy and oversight of the provision of services for children with special educational needs.

5 The Labour-led government introduced 20 hours free ECE per week for three- and four-year-old children in 2007. In 2009 the National-led government renamed the policy as 20 hours ECE and allowed services to charge an optional fee for specific items over and above the hourly government-funded rate.

6 Child, Youth and Family Services: government department with responsibility for ensuring children's welfare is protected.

7 Documentation of children's learning using a learning stories framework (Carr 2001).

8 The Centre of Innovation programme ran from 2003 to 2010, with selected ECE services researching and disseminating aspects of innovative practice supported by research associates.