Title: Making Sense of Belonging, Being and Becoming The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia: What
1Making Sense of Belonging, Being and Becoming -
The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia
What might it mean for usDr Jennifer
SumsionCharles Sturt University,Bathurst
Campus, Australia
2http//www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/Policy_Agen
da/Quality/Pages/EarlyYearsLearningFramework.aspx
3Overview
- What is Belonging, Being and Becoming The Early
Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF)? - Political and policy context in which the EYLF
was developed - Intent, understandings and approach of the CSU
led Consortium that won the tender to develop the
EYLF - Some difficult decision points and dilemmas
(Westbury, 2008, p. 59) that warrant ongoing
consideration as the EYLF is implemented and
hopefully refined - Some lessons learned
4The EYLF
- Aims to extend and enrich childrens learning in
all early childhood settings from birth to five
years and through the transition to school - Intended to guide educators pedagogical
practices (including curriculum decision making) - Will form part of the National Quality Standards
- May complement, supplement or replace individual
State and Territory frameworks. The exact
relationship will be determined by each
jurisdiction. - Educators
- early childhood practitioners who work directly
with children in early childhood settings.
5Some terms
- Educators early childhood practitioners who work
directly with children in early childhood
settings (includes diploma and ECE degree
qualified) - Early childhood settings long day care,
occasional care, family day care, Multi-purpose
Aboriginal Childrens Services, preschools and
kindergartens, playgroups, creches, early
intervention settings and similar services.
6Elements of the EYLF
7Pedagogical Principles
- Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
- Partnerships
- High expectations and equity
- Respect for diversity
- Ongoing learning and reflective practice
8Practices
- Holistic approaches
- Responsiveness to children
- Learning through play
- Intentional teaching
- Learning environments
- Cultural Competence
- Continuity of learning and transitions
- Assessment for learning
9OUTCOME 1 CHILDREN HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF
IDENTITY
- Children develop their emerging autonomy,
inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency - Children develop knowledgeable and confident self
identities - Children learn to interact in relation to others
with care, empathy and respect - Children feel safe, secure, and supported
10OUTCOME 2 CHILDREN ARE CONNECTED WITH AND
CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR WORLD
- Children develop a sense of belonging to groups
and communities and an understanding of the
reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary
for active community participation - Children respond to diversity with respect
- Children become aware of fairness
- Children become socially responsible and show
respect for the environment
11 OUTCOME 3 CHILDREN HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF
WELLBEING
- Children become strong in their social and
emotional wellbeing - Children take increasing responsibility for their
own health and physical wellbeing
12OUTCOME 4 CHILDREN ARE CONFIDENT AND INVOLVED
LEARNERS
- Children transfer and adapt what they have
learned from one context to another - Children resource their own learning through
connecting with people, place, technologies and
natural and processed materials - Children develop dispositions for learning such
as curiosity, cooperation, confidence,
creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence,
imagination and reflexivity - Children develop a range of skills and processes
such as problem solving, enquiry,
experimentation, hypothesising, researching and
investigating
13OUTCOME 5 CHILDREN ARE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
- Children interact verbally and non-verbally with
others for a range of purposes - Children engage with a range of texts and gain
meaning from these texts - Children express ideas and make meaning using
- a range of media
- Children begin to understand how symbols and
pattern systems work - Children use information and communication
technologies to access information, investigate
ideas and represent their thinking
14The Australian context
- vast continent approx 4,000km east west 3,000
km north-south - highly urbanised and culturally diverse
population (with very remote settlements) - very high levels of disadvantage and poverty in
many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities, especially in remote areas - Federated political system (Federal Govt 6
state governments 2 territory governments)
responsibilities for ECEC remain divided between
education and welfare portfolios in many
governments - Rudd Labor Govt elected in late 2007 with
ambitious reform agenda implemented by the
Australian Council of Australian Governments
(COAG) -
- Influential right wing national daily that is
outspoken on educational matters (Rupert
Murdochs News Limited)
15Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform
Agenda
16Early Childhood Reforms
- Closing the gap in differences in outcomes for
Aboriginal and non Aboriginal children - Increasing access to ECEC By 2013, every child
will have access to 15 hours a week, 40 weeks a
year of affordable quality play based education
programs in the year before school currently
72 of 3-6 year old children not in school attend
ECEC, but only 23 of these for 15 hrs or more
per week - Improving quality through a National Quality
Framework - Developing the ECEC workforce
17National Quality Framework
-
- National Quality Standards for Early Childhood
Education and Care probably a major revamping
and expansion of current national accreditation
system for day care centres - Quality rating system
- Streamlined quality and regulatory arrangements
- National Early Years Learning Framework
18Developing the ECEC workforce
- the removal of TAFE (Community College) fees for
child care diplomas and advanced diplomas - additional early childhood education university
places and - HECS-HELP debt relief for early childhood
education teachers working areas of high
disadvantage.
19EYLF Consortium
20Development of the Early Years Learning
Framework
- The development of the EYLF involved three
stages - Stage 1 Literature review
- Stage 2 discussion paper, national symposium and
consultation - Stage 3 Development of the Framework, focus
groups, second national symposium and a second
consultation round - Stage 4 Trialling and validation
21Time Frame for Stages 3 and 4
- August 2008 request for tender issued
- Sept 2008 - successful tenderer notified
- Oct 2008 - invited national symposium to give
feedback on 1st draft - Nov 2008 national consultation on 1st draft
- Feb 2009 2nd draft released
- Feb April 2009 - 6 week trial involving 28
services across Australia online consultations,
focus groups - May 2009 Consortium submitted its recommended
draft to COAG - July 3 2009 EYLF officially launched for
immediate implementation - Sept 2009 hard copies to be sent to all early
childhood services
22Consortium structure
23Why this structure?
- symbolic and pragmatic statement of confidence in
the capacity of the EC sector to work
collaboratively and constructively across state /
territory borders and other divides. - diversity of perspectives, professional
backgrounds, expertise and insights of Consortium
members mirrored the diversity of the EC sector
generally - provided a rich range of knowledge and
experiential bases and an inbuilt mechanism for
testing and refining ideas and proposed
directions
24Also enabled
- a rich generational mix of experienced and
emerging leaders - work tasks to be distributed, thus rendering the
extremely tight time frame just manageable - us to activate networks across Australia at short
notice for various purposes as the need arose
25Curriculum
- is always political, in part because it shapes
what is seen as (im)possible (Popkewitz, 2009). - reflects the political and social terrain in
which it is developed as the terrain shifts, so
will emphases in curriculum. - a reflection of what a society values and what it
hopes to become (Reid, 2008) and of its vision
and courage (or lack thereof) - is about what matters to politicians, policy
makers, the media, academics, educators,
communities, families and children and about
how what matters should be framed (Yates,
2009). What matters is conveyed through
multiple and competing discourses and narratives
26Key ideas guiding the Consortium
- Educators are professional, knowledgeable,
skilful, ethical and intentional. - Children are capable. They are active
participants in their families and communities. - Diversity is something to value and respect, but
it brings many responsibilities, especially in
relation to equity and social justice.
27Theories different ways of looking
- Theories are like lenses we can use to help us to
interpret and gain insight into complex issues
(e.g, like looking through a magnifying glass /
telescope) - They enable us to see the world differently like
different pairs of glasses (e.g, sunglasses /
reading glasses). - We can use different theories to suit different
situations and to interpret things differently. - All theories have strengths and limitations, so
its not such a good idea to rely only one theory
28- Developmental theories describe and help to
understand changes in childrens learning and
development over time - Socio-cultural theories central role of families
and cultural groups play in childrens learning
need for respectful relationships and insights
into social and cultural contexts in which
children learn and develop - Socio-behavioural focus on ways that chns
experiences shape their behaviour - Critical theories challenge our assumptions
about curriculum, and consider how decisions may
affect children differently. - Poststructuralist theories offer insights into
issues of power, equity and social justice in
early childhood settings.
29Most salient narratives
- Hope
- e.g., early childhood sectors hopes that the
EYLF would - build on Prime Minister Rudds formal apology to
the Stolen Generation in February 2008 and
actively contribute to reconciliation between
Indigenous and other Australians - lead to enhanced professional status for early
childhood practitioners through public
recognition of the importance and complexity of
their work. - engender a transformative vision for ECEC and for
a more socially just society -
30Salvation
- focus on strengthening society by saving or
rescuing its (potentially) valuable assets - emphasise the production of future citizens with
desirable qualities by addressing deficits
(Popkewitz, 2009) narratives of hope seek to
address inequities through transforming social
structures that perpetuate those inequities - The agreed aspiration is that children are born
healthy and have access, throughout early
childhood, to the support, care and education
that will equip them for life and learning .
This is critical to achieving long-term
participation and productivity gains for
Australia. Schooling and skills development must
be improved now, and must start early as children
are the nations future (Productivity Agenda
Working Group - Early Childhood Development Sub
Group, 2008, p. 2) - But in reality, frequently interwoven, e.g.,
emphasis on closing the gap between the
educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander children and those of other
children.
31Political risk
- Internal
- e.g., arising from multi-jurisdictional nature
of COAG processes competing priorities,
parochialism and gamesmanship that have
traditionally constrained attempts at national
collaboration in Australia (Moon Sharman, 2003)
- External
- e.g., media attention critical of the two
publicly released drafts of the EYLF. Sensitivity
to those risks can be traced in what we
considered a substantial toning down of
potentially controversial ideas in successive
publicly released drafts and in the final version
32Plan to teach tots calls for PC playThe
Australian, December 18, 2008
- POLITICAL correctness in the playground is the
theme of the nation's first curriculum for
childcare centres. A draft "early years learning
framework makes no mention of practical
targets such as learning colours and numbers or
building with blocks. Instead, it discusses the
dangers of child's play -- even referring to
discrimination based on the "sexuality" of
babies, toddlers and kindergarten kids. "Play is
not always innocent and fun," says the document,
drafted by a panel of academics and state and
federal education bureaucrats. "Sometimes it can
be cruel, unfair and unjust -- a space for
politics and power relations, where children are
excluded on the basis of gender, age, size, skin
colour, proficiency with English, class,
ethnicity, sexuality and more. "It is important
educators are aware of the possibilities and
realities of play, and of the romance and
nostalgia that can be associated with play. "It
is not sufficient to just 'let children play' and
trust that learning occurs. The document says
carers should "work with children to challenge
power assumptions and create play experiences
that promote equity, fairness and justice". -
33- Wrong direction MAXINE McKew's proposal to turn
preschoolers into politically correct activists
(The Advertiser, yesterday) is absolutely
outrageous. It is also dangerous. These sorts of
proposals are more in keeping with communist
China than they are with a democracy. Ms McKew
and her advisers are to be strongly condemned.
D.L. THOMAS, Torrens Park. - Political fanaticism I READ Ms McKew's proposal
to politically indoctrinate pre-schoolers with
growing disbelief. Which country are we living
in, Australia or some totalitarian state? Of
course, young children need to be taught to be
thoughtful of others and care for them. They do
not need to be taught some sort of political
fanaticism inspired by the radical Left. This
does more to divide society than bring it
together. It dwells on differences and encourages
discontent. Ms McKew may want to see all children
grow up to be Labor-voting political clones, but
I would prefer my children to grow up caring for
others before taking on the issues that we have
not solved since the beginning of human
existence. Cl WILSON, Hawthorn - Innocent minds I AM sure Maxine McKew has fine
intentions, but to introduce a political
component into pre-school learning concerns me
greatly. These beautiful and innocent minds are
void of racism, ethics and political correctness.
In an ideal environment, they will learn good
values by example, from parents, teachers and a
caring society. - BRIAN COOMBES. Para Hills.
34Approach
- Aimed to
- be bold and brave (transformational
possibilities) - affirm existing good practice, and move the early
childhood sector forward by conveying ideas,
posing questions and provoking dialogues that
practitioners may not have encountered or engaged
in previously - open up spaces for conversations about ECEC
pedagogy, curriculum and the discourses that
underpin them, and about what knowledge, values
and ideas matter and what constitutes good
citizens and good societies (Yates, 2009).
35- build on COAG stipulation that the EYLF retain
sufficient flexibility to be interpreted in ways
that are contextually and culturally relevant - retain sufficient flexibility to allow and
support different assemblages of ideas and
theories, including those that may have been
perceived too politically risky to articulate
openly - weave in words that cross borders and divides,
resonate with diverse audiences, and be taken up
differently within different discourses -
- use words innocuous to political risk detectors,
while speaking powerfully in code to
practitioners seeking legitimate ways to push the
boundaries
36Decision Points and Dilemmas
- Audience
- Given the diverse workforce in ECEC settings, who
should be the primary intended audience for the
EYLF? - How should differences in understanding, nature
and depth of professional knowledge be
approached? - Who should take leadership in making curriculum
decisions and where does that leave often
traditionally marginalised groups like family day
carers?
37Children
- Where is the focus on infants and toddlers?
- How to portray children with disabilities and
special needs? What is the nature of genuine
inclusion? - When is best to identify the particular needs of
individuals or groups and when is it best to
include and not single out? - How can we balance views of children as capable
and vulnerable, and avoid over- or
underestimating the support they might need? - How to counter the dominant human capital policy
focus on children primarily as learners so that
they become successful productive workers
contributors to society?
38Distinctiveness
- What constitutes a distinctively Australian
framework? - What does it mean to be an educator in a
post-apology Australia? - What are the roles and responsibilities of early
childhood educators and early learning settings
in contributing to reconciliation?
39Diversity and equity
- How can the EYLF make a constructive contribution
that is not superficial or tokenistic? - Is the phrase all children a politically
acceptable way of conveying a commitment to
equity, without entering into the risks of naming
marginalised groups for whom social structures
have produced far from equitable opportunities
and outcomes? - Does it normalise children by immediately
portraying children who do not behave or achieve
in ways that are expected deviant or failures?
40Theoretical underpinnings
- What are the risks and opportunities of
theoretical eclecticism? - What can be said about play and what has to
remain unspoken?
41So, what have we got?
- Australias first national framework a major
achievement and likely to become historically
significant - Provides a shared basis for conversations across
the country and across sectors - A hybrid document with many signs of negotiated
settlements so lacks the seemingly effortless
coherence of a unified narrative -
- Its dissonance makes it an honest document -
implicitly acknowledging that true consensus is
not readily achievable -
- It also gives it a dynamic quality that leaves
open spaces for ongoing conversations and new
articulations could open up spaces and
possibilities for early childhood pedagogical
practice seemingly unattainable in current
political and policy contexts.
42So, what have we learned?
- Curriculum really is political and the media
incredibly powerful - There is strength in diversity being able to
work with diversity commands respect. So does
practicing what you preach. - Recognise and work hard to understand cultural
differences (eg bureaucratic cultures) - Know what is most important, when to hold out and
when to compromise find creative ways to
compromise (e.g., flying under the radar) - Dont set up binaries (i.e. them / us good
/ bad) - Find ways to help bureaucrats achieve their
goals but take every opportunity to educate them
43- References
- Moon, J., Sharman, C. (2003). Introduction
Australian politics and government. In J. Moon
C. Sharman (Eds.), Australian politics and
government The Commonwealth, the states and the
territories (pp. 1-11). Cambridge Cambridge
University Press. - Popkewitz, T. S. (2009). Curriculum study,
curriculum history, and curriculum theory The
reason of reason. Journal of Curriculum Studies,
41(3), 301-309. - Productivity Agenda Working Group - Early
Childhood Development Sub Group. (2008). A
national quality framework for early childhood
education and care A discussion paper Retrieved
June 2, 2009 from http//www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChi
ldhood/Policy_Agenda/Quality/Pages/home.aspx. - Reid, A. (2008). It's time A national curriculum
for the 21st century? Professional Educator
7(4), 9-11. - Yates, L. (2009). From curriculum to pedagogy and
back again Knowledge, the person and the
changing world. Pedagogy, culture and society,
17(1), 17-28.