The Ethics of Leadership By Jillian Rodd ANGIE 69080043 08 May 2010

The Ethics of LeadershipThe Ethics of Leadership

By Jillian RoddBy Jillian Rodd

ANGIE 69080043ANGIE 69080043

08 May 201008 May 2010

Early Childhood Leader:Early Childhood Leader:

• Is involved and influential in the lives and Is involved and influential in the lives and welfare of children and familieswelfare of children and families

• Consider the impact of decisionConsider the impact of decision• Politically aware and to act as advocates Politically aware and to act as advocates

for children and families – act as a voice for children and families – act as a voice for those who are vulnerable and for those who are vulnerable and powerlesspowerless

I. Promoting and Protecting I. Promoting and Protecting Children’s RightsChildren’s Rights

• Young children are dependent, vulnerable, Young children are dependent, vulnerable, and voiceless in society.and voiceless in society.

• Children have a universal right to survival Children have a universal right to survival and development.and development.

• Development: physical health, also Development: physical health, also mental, emotional, cognitive, social, and mental, emotional, cognitive, social, and cultural development. The principle of cultural development. The principle of equality is inherent.equality is inherent.


• Acting as a protector, advocate, facilitator, and Acting as a protector, advocate, facilitator, and negotiator becomes a high priority because their negotiator becomes a high priority because their intimate knowledge about individuals and intimate knowledge about individuals and extensive experience with young children place extensive experience with young children place early childhood leaders in the best position to early childhood leaders in the best position to know what is in the best interest of the child and know what is in the best interest of the child and their family.their family.

• Children need special support to allow them Children need special support to allow them access to their rights. Adults working with access to their rights. Adults working with children need to be aware of, sensitive to and children need to be aware of, sensitive to and respectful of their rights and best interests and respectful of their rights and best interests and take on an enabling role.take on an enabling role.


• Every educator… must come to realize Every educator… must come to realize that they… have a responsibility to work that they… have a responsibility to work for children’s rights and that they can do for children’s rights and that they can do much on a day to day basis to support, much on a day to day basis to support, extend and uphold children’s rights.extend and uphold children’s rights.

II. Providing Quality and II. Providing Quality and Economically Viable ServicesEconomically Viable Services

• The push towards becoming The push towards becoming entrepreneurial and being responsive to entrepreneurial and being responsive to the demands of a competitive market the demands of a competitive market means that consideration of children’s means that consideration of children’s rights may be pushed into the background rights may be pushed into the background when developing new and existing when developing new and existing services.services.


• While it is essential that early childhood services While it is essential that early childhood services be affordable and cost efficient, these factors be affordable and cost efficient, these factors must be balanced against the ethical must be balanced against the ethical responsibility to protect children’s rights. responsibility to protect children’s rights. Ultimately, early childhood services cannot Ultimately, early childhood services cannot afford to sacrifice children’s rights in order to afford to sacrifice children’s rights in order to meet short term priorities and pressures meet short term priorities and pressures because this may in fact have long term effects because this may in fact have long term effects on children’s development as productive on children’s development as productive citizens.citizens.


• Quality is not a finite goal which once attained Quality is not a finite goal which once attained can be checked off a list of things to do. Quality can be checked off a list of things to do. Quality is a complex ideal which early childhood is a complex ideal which early childhood professionals continually pursue. Our professionals continually pursue. Our understanding of quality will change over time as understanding of quality will change over time as our understanding of young children’s our understanding of young children’s development, needs and rights grows.development, needs and rights grows.

• Quality in early childhood is related to high Quality in early childhood is related to high quality professional practice where the rights quality professional practice where the rights and interests of the child are regarded as the and interests of the child are regarded as the highest priority.highest priority.

Five central goals and values:Five central goals and values:

1.1. Children come first. Every child has a Children come first. Every child has a right to depend upon adults to provide right to depend upon adults to provide the conditions which will enable them to the conditions which will enable them to reach their full potential.reach their full potential.We all bear responsibility for all our We all bear responsibility for all our children and it is essential that parents children and it is essential that parents and carers should receive the necessary and carers should receive the necessary support to ensure that their children support to ensure that their children receive the best possible start in life.receive the best possible start in life.


2.2. Children have a right to be recognised as Children have a right to be recognised as people with views and interests. They people with views and interests. They have the right to be listened to and to have the right to be listened to and to participate in decision making about participate in decision making about issues which affect their lives.issues which affect their lives.


3.3. Children should have the opportunity to Children should have the opportunity to be part of a family and community, to be part of a family and community, to experience a stable learning and caring experience a stable learning and caring environment which enhances their environment which enhances their esteem as individuals, their dignity and esteem as individuals, their dignity and autonomy, self confidence and autonomy, self confidence and enthusiasm for learning, and respect for enthusiasm for learning, and respect for others which ensures they are free from others which ensures they are free from discrimination.discrimination.


4.4. Parents, carers and communities need to be Parents, carers and communities need to be supported in promoting the interests and supported in promoting the interests and welfare of their children. Children need strong welfare of their children. Children need strong adults upon whom they can depend to provide adults upon whom they can depend to provide love, security and the financial resources to love, security and the financial resources to ensure they can access an adequate standard ensure they can access an adequate standard of living.of living.Early years services must be rooted in local Early years services must be rooted in local community infrastructures and provide real community infrastructures and provide real choice for families, particularly those on low choice for families, particularly those on low incomes.incomes.


5.5. Children have the right to safe play Children have the right to safe play environments which provide a whole environments which provide a whole range of opportunities for autonomy, range of opportunities for autonomy, social development and recreational social development and recreational activity.activity.

Children and families also have the right Children and families also have the right to participate in the services provided by to participate in the services provided by the retail, cultural and tourist sectors.the retail, cultural and tourist sectors.

The services provided for children should The services provided for children should start with and be based upon the rights start with and be based upon the rights and interests of the child, not from the and interests of the child, not from the interests of parents (although the common interests of parents (although the common interests of parents and children must be interests of parents and children must be recognised), nor from those of recognised), nor from those of professionals, the organisation, finances, professionals, the organisation, finances, and educational fads.and educational fads.

III. Administering Early Childhood III. Administering Early Childhood Centres in Accordance with the Centres in Accordance with the Profession’s Ethical PrinciplesProfession’s Ethical Principles

Effective administration or management Effective administration or management of early childhood centres involves four of early childhood centres involves four major functions:major functions:

1.1. PlanningPlanning

2.2. ImplementationImplementation

3.3. OperationOperation

4.4. EvaluationEvaluation


1. Planning:1. Planning:

• Aspects of leadershipAspects of leadership

• PhilosophyPhilosophy

• Involvement of othersInvolvement of others


2.2. Implementation:Implementation:

• Ethical decision makingEthical decision making

• Creative problem solvingCreative problem solving

• Aspects of motivationAspects of motivation

• Team buildingTeam building

• Staff developmentStaff development


3.3. Operation:Operation:• Knowledge base for the running of early Knowledge base for the running of early

childhood serviceschildhood services• Choices made in relation to issues such Choices made in relation to issues such

as facilities, equipment, the use of space, as facilities, equipment, the use of space, room arrangement and schedulingroom arrangement and scheduling

• Financial managementFinancial management• Record keepingRecord keeping


4.4. Evaluation:Evaluation:• Ongoing learning process which provides Ongoing learning process which provides

information about the effectiveness of early information about the effectiveness of early childhood services childhood services

• Informs the management of changeInforms the management of change

Each of these four functions can involve ethical Each of these four functions can involve ethical issues and dilemmas, that is, moral decision issues and dilemmas, that is, moral decision making that cannot be settled by reference to making that cannot be settled by reference to educational or developmental theory and educational or developmental theory and research.research.


Staff selection, development and evaluation are Staff selection, development and evaluation are areas which are central to the ethical areas which are central to the ethical administration of an early childhood centre.administration of an early childhood centre.

The better the understanding that early childhood The better the understanding that early childhood professionals and support staff have about what professionals and support staff have about what constitutes quality in early childhood services, constitutes quality in early childhood services, the goals of early care and education and child the goals of early care and education and child development… the more responsive early development… the more responsive early childhood services can be to children and childhood services can be to children and families.families.


Evaluation of staff, practice and services Evaluation of staff, practice and services must be conducted within the context of must be conducted within the context of social responsibility, children’s rights and social responsibility, children’s rights and ethical decision making.ethical decision making.

IV. Employing an Early Childhood Code IV. Employing an Early Childhood Code of Ethics to Guide the Resolution of of Ethics to Guide the Resolution of

Ethical DilemmasEthical DilemmasReasons why early childhood professionals need a Reasons why early childhood professionals need a

code of ethics:code of ethics:

1.1. They have considerable autonomy and They have considerable autonomy and independence over their behavior and decisions. independence over their behavior and decisions. Decisions have to be made quickly, often without Decisions have to be made quickly, often without discussion with or reference to others. Such discussion with or reference to others. Such pressures may result in unsuitable behavior or pressures may result in unsuitable behavior or decisions which do not protest children’s rights or decisions which do not protest children’s rights or are not in their best interest.are not in their best interest.A decision which can be rationalised and justified A decision which can be rationalised and justified by reference to a code of ethics appears to carry by reference to a code of ethics appears to carry more weight and credibility and as such is less more weight and credibility and as such is less likely to be challenged than one which does not likely to be challenged than one which does not have such a solid underpinning.have such a solid underpinning.


Ethical DilemmasEthical DilemmasReasons why early childhood professionals need a Reasons why early childhood professionals need a

code of ethics:code of ethics:2.2. Many situations and incidents which occur in Many situations and incidents which occur in

day to day work with young children contain day to day work with young children contain inherent conflict of value or interest or pose an inherent conflict of value or interest or pose an ethical dilemma.ethical dilemma.Ethical dilemmas are situations which involve Ethical dilemmas are situations which involve conflict between core values and difficult, even conflict between core values and difficult, even painful choices that result in less than painful choices that result in less than satisfactory outcomes.satisfactory outcomes.


Ethical DilemmasEthical Dilemmas

Reasons why early childhood professionals need a Reasons why early childhood professionals need a code of ethics:code of ethics:

3.3. The infrastructures of the early childhood The infrastructures of the early childhood profession contains a number of features (low profession contains a number of features (low status and power, multiplicity of clients with status and power, multiplicity of clients with potentially conflicting needs and interests, role potentially conflicting needs and interests, role ambiguity and poor integration of knowledge ambiguity and poor integration of knowledge base and practice) which increase the base and practice) which increase the likelihood of ethical dilemmas occurring in day likelihood of ethical dilemmas occurring in day to day practice.to day practice.



• One of the limitations of many professional One of the limitations of many professional codes of ethics is that they have no power to codes of ethics is that they have no power to enforce the code or apply sanctions to members enforce the code or apply sanctions to members who choose not to endorse or comply with the who choose not to endorse or comply with the principles and values accepted by and for the principles and values accepted by and for the professional group as a whole. professional group as a whole.

• Behaving in accordance with a profession’s code Behaving in accordance with a profession’s code of ethics tends to be a voluntary undertaking by of ethics tends to be a voluntary undertaking by individual members of that profession.individual members of that profession.



Moral orientation has two dimensions:Moral orientation has two dimensions:• A justice rights orientation: emphasises A justice rights orientation: emphasises

objectivity and universality and directs the leader objectivity and universality and directs the leader to treat others fairly and avoid interfering with to treat others fairly and avoid interfering with their rights. Men act more generally on this one.their rights. Men act more generally on this one.

• A care connectedness orientation: uses A care connectedness orientation: uses attachment and care, expressed as concern with attachment and care, expressed as concern with providing for the needs of others, as guiding providing for the needs of others, as guiding principles in moral decisions. Women are more principles in moral decisions. Women are more frequently guided by this one.frequently guided by this one.

• It is important to appreciate both dimensions in It is important to appreciate both dimensions in making decisions.making decisions.

THANK YOUTHANK YOU

Documents

The Ethics of Leadership By Jillian Rodd ANGIE 69080043 08 May 2010