ISSA meeting Belgrade

Dr. Jan Peeters Ghent University

Professionalism in services for young children in Europe

Qualitative services for ECEC high on political agenda due to aging of population and shrinking labourforce in EU

•Economic (more women on labourmarket)

•Demographic (birthrate)

•Social (more inclusion)

•Educational (more well educated citizens)

Effective ECEC services need well educated workers ( OECD, 2006; EU Council, 2007)

• There is a consensus (research and international organisations) on the fact that quality care during the first years of life has a huge positive effect on underprivileged economic environments and on the development of non-native-speaking children

• Research shows the link between strong training and support of staff and the quality of ECEC services

• ‘The evidence is strong that improved training and qualifications levels raise the quality of interaction and pedagogy in ECEC services.’

Starting Strong II (OECD, 2006) overview studies (Andersson, 1992; French National Survey, 1992; Succes for all studies, 2002; The Chicago Child-Parent Centres Study, 2002; The longitudinal New Zealand survey, 1992; The United States National Evaluation of Early Head Start, 2003; Longitudinal British EPPE, 1997-2007). (CQCO Study Team, 1995; NICHD, 1997; Phillipsen et al. 1997).

Technical definitions of professionalism and ECEC a difficult marriage

•Need for a ‘ warm’ professional

•Expert-model is not appropriate

•Developmental perspective (Barbier, 2005)

•Participation nurtures professionalism (Rinaldi, 2005)

•Professionalism is linked to quality of action within complex relationship with colleagues parents and neighbourhood

•Professionalization as a social practice that is the consequence of interaction between, on the one hand, social evolutions, policy measures and new scientific insights and, on the other hand, the researchers, the staff at child care centres and the users – in our case, the parents and the children.

•No consesus in EU on kind of professionalism that is needed

•Children in Europe policy paper: ‘Professional must be qualified to work in pedagogical way with children ( O to 6 years), their families and wider community’

EU: tendency towards a broader interpretation of professionalism in the provisions for the youngest children: care integrated in social pedagogy or education

1. Splitsystems: evolution towards social pedagogy for the youngest children (France, Luxemburg)

2. Integrated systems:

• Integration profession in broader social welfare system: de social pedagog for all ages ( Finland, Denmark)

• Integration in education: teacher (England, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, New-Zealand, Latvia, Slovenia)

Professional profiles across European countries (Oberhuemer, Schreyer, 2008)

•Early childhood professional (O to 6) Latvia, Slovenia, Sweden, New-Zealand,

•Pre-primary professional (3 to 6) Belgium, Cyprus, Malta

•Pre-primary and primary professional (3 to 12) France, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Romania

•Social pedagogy professional ( from 0 till 99) Denmark, Luxemburg, Finland

England:

• Upgrading qualifications is policy priority : ‘Building a world-class workforce for children’

• (NVQ-VQ): assessment of prior learning

• National Qualification Framework : a clear course of training and employment opportunities, childcare workers know where they can work with which qualifications and which achieved competencies (cfr. EQF)

• Interpretation of professionalism is technical but some see possibilty for training reflective early years professionals

Models of professionalism in Engeland, France, New Zealand and Denmark

France:

• From a medical hygienic towards a socio-pedagogical interpretation of professionalism (0 to 3) : the ‘éducateur jeunes enfants’

• ‘Analyse de pratiques’: creating new knowledge and developing competences

• Contracts de qualification: learning on the workfloor, a short track to qualification: auxiliare (secondary) or éducateur jeunes enfants

• New bachelor training: éducateur jeunes enfants (2005)-horizontal mobilty towards other social professions

-auxiliaires can complete the training course EJE in one third of normal time

-vertical mobility: leadership function - social function important in professional role - mentoring of non-qualified persons towards qualification - dealing with diversity

Models of professionalism in Engeland, France, New Zealand and Denmark

New-Zealand

• 1986: integration within education of all services for 0 to 5

• Nineties: Code of ethics (cfr. pedagogical standards)

• Pathways to the future: 2002-2012 a ten years strategic plan for ECE: bachelor level for all 0 to 5 workers

• Professionalism develops in a climate where researchers, pratitioner’s, policy makers and steakholders work together in a ‘communicative space’.

Models of professionalism in Engeland, France, New Zealand and Denmark

Denmark:Professionalism is unity of care, upbringing and education

1992: pedagogue has developped into a distinct ‘generalist profession’ ( young people, adults with special needs and the elderly)

Professionalism based on -personal competencies -pedagog is guided by set of general values but must

contextualize himself the ethical and pedagogical principles -pedagogy integrated in daily life -holistic child image, competent child- -childhood-logic: challenge the child

Models of professionalism in Engeland, France, New Zealand and Denmark

•Low level of professionalism within group care for the youngest children (0 to 3 and 4-year olds) is inherent in split systems (childcare and kindergarten are separate) -Lowest level of professionalism within a split system model in the private commercial childcare sector. If commercial daycare centres receive support from the government and/or the business community, possible to upgrade the professionalism (New Zealand and The Netherlands).

-France is the exception to the rule: ‘éducateur jeunes enfants’ demonstrates that it is, indeed, possible to develop a high degree of professionalism within a split system –-integration of childcare (0 to 3 ) into a broader whole in kindergarten (education, New Zealand) or in a system of social pedagogy (Denmark) has given rise to a process of professionalization (the demand for higher education, higher salaries, better working conditions and no shortage on labourmarket).

Conclusions overview

• generic or specialistic interpretation of

professionalism• broad and integrated professionalism that links

care, learning, pedagogy and social function

or technical expert, that needs to meet prescribed outcomes

What professionalism do we want?

• Technical expert or • Reflective practitioner

-presumes high degree of autonomy (Denmark, New Zealand)

-must be capable of constructing new pedagogical knowledge

-must be able to deal with complex situations

Which professional do we want?

One third bachelor level, one third secundary, one third unschooled

Give opportunity to unschooled via work-study or recognition of earlier acquired competences to abridged training courses in adult education

Upgrading professionalism of underprivileged groups (UK , France)

Expanding possibilities for vertical and horizontal mobility- making jobs more attractive

Who can become professional?

What do we mean by competence ? (Cameron, 2008)

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•An organizing principle in measurement practitioner’s performance: reach nationally agreed ‘occupational technical standards’

-anti-developmental, tying education to current practice

-influence of this UK interpretation of competence on European Qualification Framework

•Or a way of expressing ability and action where the individual is conceptualized as both responible for their individuality and a social being integrated in wider group

•Special issue on professionalism EECERA (Urban, Dalli, 2008)

•Miller, Cable (2008) Professionalism in the Early years

•Children in Europa in Europa in 13 languages: Aiming high: a professional workforce for the early years

•Peeters, J. (2008) The Construction of a new profession. Amsterdam: SWP

Recent publications on professionalism

Conclusion

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•Broad integrated professionalism, linked with other social and child professions

•Reflective practitioner with high degree of autonomy and able to construct new pedagogical knowledge

•Give opportunities to underprivileged groups to adapted learning paths- vertical mobility

•A professionalism based on ability or competencies and qualities to meet complex demands in particular contexts

•Professionalism thrivess when policy makers, researchers and the sector work together over long periods of times in a democratic manner