Tackling inequities through theprofessionalization of ECEC: workforce preparation

Dr. Jan Peeters

Centre for Innovation in the Early Years

Ghent University

Workforce preparation (ISCED 5 or higher) acrossEuropean countries (Oberhuemer, et al., 2010)

• Early childhood professional (0 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 to 99) Denmark, Luxemburg, Finland

• Professional for child care and parental support programs (France, Belgique, Fl) (0 to 3, out of school and parental support )

EU: tendency towards integration childcare in social pedagogy or education : higher level of qualification, better working conditions (UNESCO, 2010)

• Integration 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)

Split systems: evolution towards social pedagog for the youngest children (France, Belgium Fl, Luxemburg)

Workforce preparation for 0 to 3: low qualification requirements in split systems

Literature review (CoRe, 2011; Lazzari, et al, 2013)

• Broad consensus among researchers, and international organisations (OECD, UNICEF, EU), that quality of ECE and ultimately the outcomes for children and families and more specific for the disadvantaged, depand onwell-educated, experienced and competent staff.

• Higher levels of initial preparation are associated with

better quality as well as better outcomes for children(Fukkink&Lont, 2007; Sylva et al , 2004)

more stimulating, warm and supportive interactionswith children (OECD, 2006)

Survey on training profiles: what is important for disadvantaged children (Core, 2011)

autonomy of professional

Profiles must be embedded in general equal opportunities

policy

More focus needed on workingwith parents

Invisible (low or unqualified) assistants up to 40/ 50% of the workforce (CoRe, 2011; Van Laere, Peeters, Vandenbroeck,

2012)

Important role towardsparents and childrenespecially for disadvantagedgroups ( bridge function)

Few qualification requirements

Limited access to qualifying in-service training

Focus on pratical caring tasks mayjeopardise holistic pedagogicalapproach

‘Assistants’ or auxiliary staff

• In all countries except Croatia and Italy there are practitioners who ‘assist’ the higher-qualified core practitioner in working directly with children and families

• Estimation: up to 40-50 % of workforce in some EU countries (e.g. Denmark, France, Sweden, Slovenia, Lithuania)

• Core professionals (qualified bachelor) mostly frommiddle class - assistants mostly from lower SES

Roles and tasks of assistants

• Unitary systems & 3-6 in split systems:

core practitioners: educational profile

assistants: pre-dominantly caring role and sometimes learning or bridging role

• 0-3 in split systems:

core practitioners: caring or paramedical profile

assistants: pre-dominantly caring role, sometimes bridging role

CoRe recommendations towards lower qualifiedassistants

• Pedagogical mentoring

• Learning from practice

• Focus on tackling inequities

Rethinkprofessional

development

• Credits for learning in practice

• No dead end jobsIncrease job

mobility

• Denmark, France, SloveniaInclude assistants

in qualifyingtraining

CoRe recommendations on workforce preparation

• Continous reflection on working withparents who live in poverty:developmentof new pedagogical approaches

Equal and reciprocal relation

theory/practice

• Training of directorsBuild leadership

capacity

• Policies that address entire ECEC system

• Professionalisation is multi-layered

Invest in competent system

Workforce preparation of the teachers: individual competences

• About families, poverty, diversity. Children’srights. Developmental aspects of children froma holistic perspective, strategies learning, communication with children and participation , working with parents and community, …

Knowledge

• Observing children in order to identify needs, planning and implementing wide range of educational projects, documenting children’s progress, creating effective learning environments, analysing needs of local communities, and parents from different origins, enabling open communication to all parents, …

Practices

• Adopting a democratic and inclusive approachthat values diversity , commitment to childwelfare and well-being, Children Rights-basedapproach to ECEC that promotes children’s and families active citizenship, solidarity and lifelonglearning

Values :

Workforce preparation of directors or pedagogical counsellors: Institutional competences:

• Poverty, diversity issues, situated learning, community of practice, reflectiveapproaches, adult learning, , learningorganisations…

Knowledge

• Elaborating a shared pedagogical framework orienting educational work, arrange paid time for planning documenting and review educational work , providing opportunities for joint work, …

Practices

• Democracy and respect for diversity, conceivingECEC as forums for civil engagement thatforsters social cohesion, and as criticallyreflective communities that reciprocally interactwith the changing needs of childres, families and wider society.

Values :

INDIVIDUAL TEACHER

TEAM / INSTITUTION

INTERAGENCY /TRAINING CENTRES/LOCAL GOVERNMENT

NATIONAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONSThe

com

pet

ent

ECEC

sys

tem

(Co

Re,

20

11

; Pe

eter

s, 2

01

3)

INDIVIDUAL TEACHER: Active actor in proces of professionalisation

Initial training: bachelor

Engagement in continuous

training (courses,

study days)

Reflecting onown practice

Professional literature

TEAM / INSTITUTION: common pedagogical approach

Team meetings

Coaching bymentor

Definingquality

together withparents

Developinglearning

community

INTERAGENCY / TRAINING CENTERS / LOCALGOVERNMENT: DIVERSIFIED PD POLICY

Training and intervision of

directors

Start courses fornew teams

Exchange of interesting practice

Peer groups aboutcommon themes

PD resource centres

Collecting PD needs

NATIONAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: COHERENT POLICY

Quality standards onaccessibility and equal

opportunities

Competence profiles

Self evaluationguidelines

Financial resources for mentoring and

training,

Qualificationrequirements

(bachelor)

Accreditation of continous professional

development and mentoring

Accreditation of centres that offer PD

INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS AND FOUNDATIONS: INNOVATION

Support for equal

rightsapproach Support

forworkingaround

diversityand

poverty

Exchange of interesting

practiceAdvocacy

Innovativeprojects

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Legal and ethicalframework : Convention

rights of the child

technicalasstance

Focal point to share and develop

Offer support forgovernments to develop

bylaws

Financinginnovative

projects

• Financing: costs of workforce preparation and PD

• Lack of child free hours

• Lack of recognition for mentoring and earlieracquired competences

• Large parts of workforce ECEC is unqualified

• Recurrent preconditions not met:

Staff/child rations

Group size

Working conditions

Continuity of staff

Challenges for many countries

• Urban, M., Vandenbroeck, M., Peeters, J., Lazzari, A., Van Laere, K. (2011) CoRe Competence requirements in Early Childhood Educationand Care. Final Report for European Commission, DG Educationand Culture. Research Documents. www.vbjk.be

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

• Van Laere, Peeters, Vandenbroeck ( 2012). The education and Care Divide: the role of the early childhood workforce in 15 European countries. European Journal of Education, Vol. 47, No 4.

• Children in Europe, Valuing the workforce . www.vbjk.be

• DECET, ISSA Diversity and Social Inclusion: Exploring Competences for Professional practice in ECEC. http://www.decet.org/

Thank you for your

attention