BECERA 2014 Michel Vandenbroeck Keynotes

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BECERA, 2014

Building reciprocity

in unequal relations

Michel Vandenbroeck Department of Social Welfare Studies Ghent University, Belgium

“Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers”"

(Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage)

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1.  What do we mean by that (in curricula) 2.  What can it mean in practice (an experiment)

3. What can it mean in policies (in literature)

Swedish curriculum

“The guardian is responsible for their child’s

upbringing and development. The preschool should

supplement the home by creating the best possible

preconditions for ensuring that each child’s

development is rich and varied. The preschool’s work

with children should thus take place in close and

confidential co-operation with the home. Parents

should have the opportunity within the framework of

the national goals to be involved and influence activities

in the preschool” (Skolverket, 2011, p. 13).

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EYFS

“If a child does not have a strong grasp of English language,

practitioners must explore the child’s skills in the home

language with parents and/or carers, to establish whether

there is cause for concern about language delay”

(Department for Education, 2012, p. 6).

“When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners

must review their progress, and provide parents and/or

carers with a short written summary of their child’s

development in the prime areas”

(Department for Education, 2012, 10).

Australian curriculum

“Fundamental to the Framework is a view of children’s lives

as characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From

before birth children are connected to family, community,

culture and place. Their earliest development and learning

takes place through these relationships, particularly within

families, who are children’s first and most influential

educators. As children participate in everyday life, they

develop interests and construct their own identities and

understandings of the world”

(Australian Government, 2009, p. 7).

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Danish curriculum

“The manager of the day-care facility shall include the parent board in

the preparation, evaluation and follow-up of the pedagogical

curriculum. (…) Day-care facility employees shall be represented on

the parent board. (…) The parent board of a day-care centre shall lay

down the principles for the work of the day-care centre and for

applying the budget framework of the day-care centre within the

objectives and framework determined by the local council. (…) The

parent board has a right of nomination and right to participate in the

appointment of the manager of local-authority and independent day-

care centres and of local-authority childminding. (...) The parent

board has a right of nomination in connection with the hiring of

employees”

(Christensen, 2007, p. 4-6).

“Children’s learning and development are fostered if the well-being

of their family and community is supported; if their family,

culture, knowledge and community are respected; and if there is a

strong connection and consistency among all the aspects of the

child’s world” (Australia).

“Providers must inform parents and/or carers of the name of the

key person, and explain their role, when a child starts attending a

setting.(…) The key person must seek to engage and support

parents and/or carers in guiding their child’s development at home.

They should also help families engage with more specialist support

if appropriate” (England)

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“a two-way process of knowledge and information flowing freely both ways” (2006)

“Parents and communities should be regarded as partners working towards the same goal. Home learning environments and neighourhood matter for healthy child development and learning.” (2011)

A Brussels experiment Ethnic minorities are majority below 3 years. From newcomers to general accessibility

Qualitative evaluation @ year 1 Quantitative evaluation @ year 5

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Can the subaltern speak ? (Spivak) Because it’s my first time that I am a mum and they have a lot of experience. I would have accepted their advice no matter what, honestly. (Neamat, Lebanon)

Can the subaltern speak ? (Spivak) The child reflects its parents when it goes into society, into school. (Marie, DRCongo)

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“Je ne cherche pas à dire que tout est mauvais, mais que tout est dangereux, ce qui n’est pas exactement la même chose que ce qui est mauvais. Si tout est dangereux, alors nous avons toujours quelque chose à faire.”

Yeah my aunts, they had a lot of impact [laughs]. And it was really a good one, because it’s really nice when you are surrounded by people who already raised children and who know how to deal. It’s not how to deal, but they already know what to expect and what it should be done or not. Even though we say they have very ancient methods and I don’t know; whatever and maybe the modern methods they are better, but it’s really it gives you a lot of insight and a lot of things you think about… Ancient people, they always feel that children should eat a lot, and I don’t feel that they should eat a lot. (Neamat,Lebanon).

They say they will never take their baby to the crèche. I say, I want to go to school, that is why I take my baby to the crèche, to get used to the people. And I want my baby to talk, to speak Dutch, that is why. (Fatmata, Siera Leone)

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“Je ne cherche pas à dire que tout est mauvais, mais que tout est dangereux, ce qui n’est pas exactement la même chose que ce qui est mauvais. Si tout est dangereux, alors nous avons toujours quelque chose à faire.” I really love her [the professional] because also she looked me up some schools… I think that they are amazing because they give me the time and they always answer my question, detailed as much as they can (Neamat).

In the day care centre they are against it, because she’s very

young and … they don’t train the babies until they are two.

Sometimes in the day care centre when she wakes up, they put

her on the potty, but it’s always too late. Because the moment the

child has to wake up, you have to take him, take his diaper and

put it on the potty, you see. But in the day care centre for

example a child… many children would wake up at the same

time, so you have to deal with one child at the time. And until

now she doesn’t know that she has to control her muscles, maybe

she, I think that she can do it now. So she has to learn how to do

it. So most of the time it’s too late, but they try to… I think even

though they don’t agree with me, but they do it. And I think it’s

amazing you know, because for them, err…, when you put a child

of two years on a potty, there’s not a lot of responsibility. Because

you don’t have to watch him. You don’t have to sit, and he has to

finish and he will call you when he’s done. But with my daughter,

she’s very young so someone has to keep an eye on her. And it is

not really logic when you have 21 children. You see, so I think it’s

amazing even if they don’t do it every day. The fact that they do it

from time to time. I think it’s amazing, yeah.

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Inserimento The slow and mutual adaptation of parents, children and professionals

Starting with a question

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T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1

IT1 IT1 IT1 IT1 IT1 IT1

Man Man Man Man

Policy Policy Policy Policy

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0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5

Broer en zus

Eenoudergezin

crisisopvang

Sociaal, pedagogisch wenselijk

Ouder studeert

Lage inkomens

Beide ouders werken

Datum inschrijving

(Toekomstige) schoolkeuze

Inwoner van de gemeente

Regelmaat van opvang

Voltijdse opvang

Werknemer

Nationaliteit (voorrang allocht)

2010 2004

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Parents search on average 9 months before need Minority (M = 10,26) > Native (M = 6,52)

Higher education (M = 10,13) > Lower education (M = 5,33)

% single parent families doubled % low-income families more than doubled

% ethnic minority families increased but did not double But still not equal

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Is it OK to be who YOU are? Children reproduce social prejudices (e.g. racism by omission).

Conclusions Comprehensive policies on macro and micro levels

13 recommendations"based on lit study and good practices

Vandenbroeck, M.& Lazzari, A, (forthcoming ). Accessibility of Early Childhood Education and Care: A state of affairs. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal!

Policy level! Provision level! Parental level!

1. Public funding! 6. Democratic decision making!

12. Involvement!

2. Integration of education & care!

7. Analysis of priority criteria & access obstacles!

13. Accessible and meaningful information!

3. Population based entitlement in universal system!

8. Outreach!

4. Regulation of costs and fees!

9. Flexible opening hours matching local needs!

5. Quality monitoring & research!

10. Diverse workforce!11. Inter-agency cooperation!

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12. Involvement!





8. Outreach!





0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

CZ SK PL RO HU BG UK GR IE AT AU LT LV MT DE FI CY US NL LU EE ES BE IT FR SI PT NO SE IS DK

formal informal



12. Involvement!





8. Outreach!





AT

BE

BG

CYCZ DE

DKEE

ES

FIFR

GR

HU

IE

IT

LULV

NL

NO

PL

PTSE

SI

SK

UK

02

46

8

ineq

ualit

y ra

tio

0 20 40 60% places in public or subsidized care facilities (as a share of all children 0-2)

Association between supply and inequality of use (0-2 y)

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12. Involvement!





8. Outreach!






ECEC as a place Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can belong

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Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can foster multiple identities



Where everyone (incl children, parents and staff) can foster multiple identities Where discrimination is actively addressed

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The European Council asks the Member States to take necessary

measures to rapidly and significantly reduce child poverty, giving

all children equal opportunities, regardless of their social

background. (Council of European Union, 2006, p. 24).

Parental engagement is essential to the success of pre-primary

education and, in the case of the disadvantaged, this can be

encouraged through dedicated parental education and outreach

programmes. (EC Communication on Efficiency and Equity in

European Education and Training Systems , 2006, p. 5)

The Communication therefore advocates for a more systemic and

integrated approach to ECEC services at local, regional and

national level, for the involvement of all relevant stakeholders –

in particular, families – and for closer cross-sectoral

collaboration between different policy domains such as

education, culture, social affairs, employment, health and

justice. (Council of the European Union, 2011, p.5).

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BECERA, 2014

Vandenbroeck, M., Roets, G., & Snoeck, A. (2009). Immigrant

mothers crossing borders: nomadic identities and multiple

belongings in early childhood education. European Early

Childhood Education Research Journal, 17(2), 203-216.

Vandenbroeck, M, Geens, N, & Berten, H. (2014). The impact of

policy measures and coaching on availability and accessibility of

early child care: A longitudinal study. International Journal of

Social Welfare, 23, 69-79.

Special thanks to Jeroen Janssens for the study of international curricula Regine De Loose for the graphics VBJK for the images of Inflammable Fingers