Analysis of Early Childhood Education in New Zealand - Article Example

 Analysis of Early Childhood Education in New Zealand Early childhood education in New Zealand includes education of the child from birth until entry into school. National curriculum reforms started in New Zealand in 1980s to improve the quality of education and lay a stronger foundation thereby ensuring a future successful participation by young people, the economy, and in New Zealand society (Brewerton, 1996). The development of the guidelines for the national curriculum to improve the quality of early education was a part of this process. New Zealand is the first country in the world to have introduced national Early Childhood Curriculum called Te Whariki or the woven mat. The developers of Te Whariki ensured a high degree of consistency with the school curriculum without compromising on the integrity of an early childhood curriculum. This paper will summarize and analyze the underpinning philosophy of Te Whariki in comparison to comparison to the Curriculum Guidance principles. Early childhood theorists generally focus more commonly on the identification of skills. They highlight the need to provide the children with necessary skills and knowledge for the future (Page, 2000). Some theorists like Watts, Caldwell and Short (cited by Page) have observed that the need for these skills should be relevant to the dynamic nature of contemporary society. Ebbeck too believes that in order to cope with dynamism and change, children need to develop resilience, empathy and adaptability, an interest in creativity and in other cultures, and skills in communication, problem-solving and lateral thinking (cited by Page). Research in America as well as New Zealand have demonstrated that education is the formative years determines how the child fares later in education. Success in the secondary school examinations is not based only on the education and support that the child receives in the final year at school (EI, 2005). Brain development of the child occurs in the first six years and a positive stimulation of brain lays the foundation. The ability to learn, to develop the language skills, and to interact with others is all based on the foundation in the formative years. Research has shown that if a child receives quality education early in life he fares better at school and even as an adult in life. In New Zealand, according to Brewerton, parents could choose from a wide range of early childhood services which best suited their needs. They could opt for the community-based childcare, the kindergarten or the play centers or the Maori language immersion services, the Pacific Island Language groups, the playhouses or the home-based services. These ‘language nests’ made the educator’s conscious of the need for cultural dimensions in early child hood education. Communities and parents, in response to the local needs, have developed most of the educational services in New Zealand and most are privately owned. To ensure minimum standards, all these establishments had to fulfill licensing requirements laid down in the Education (Early Childhood Centers) Regulation 1990. New Zealand is a land of diversity and it was felt that the education system was not serving the current and future social, cultural and economic needs of the society, was not serving the needs of all students, particularly those of the female students and those with learning disabilities. The curriculum was fragments with over emphasis on unwanted subjects. Since the late 1980s government became the stakeholder in providing early education as it provides 50% of the funds. The government thus started taking interest in childhood education. These concerns led the government to focus on providing quality education in early childhood. The government aimed to provide seamless life-long education. The educators were keen to develop curriculum guidelines, which reflected the integrity of the principles and goals of early childhood education. This led to the development of Te Whariki. Te Whariki supports the work of early childhood teachers and reflects the unique nature of early childhood education in New Zealand (Tyler, 2005). Curriculum has been defined as ‘sum total of the experiences, activities and events, whether direct or indirect’ provided by the environment (PPG, 1998). The defined standards include the way the adults behave with and towards children and with and towards each other; it also includes opportunities, challenges, limits and boundaries set for the children. These imply that management behavior towards child behavior and curriculum goals are interdependent. Effective behavior practices and strategies must meet the developmental and individual needs of each child. The curriculum guiding principles of New Zealand state that the educators and developers of early childhood services would, in participation with parents will promote and extend the learning and development of each child by providing quality childhood education and care. It furthers states that all children should grow up as confident and competent communicators and learners, healthy in mind, body and spirit, feel secured and are in a position to contribute to the society (Dops, 1996). The guidelines also provide that the health and safety standards for curriculum, management and staff have to be met by the licensed and chartered early childhood education centers. The principles underlying Te Whariki have implications for practice for child behavior. Whaariki is a woven mat for all to stand on. The early childhood education has been envisaged as a whaariki. The curriculum is made up of the Principals, Strands and Goals. These are woven into the curriculum based on the interests and the aspirations of each individual child. The learning pattern increases in complexity as the child interacts with the environment and develops learning theories. The standard guidance principle says that the child will start at the bottom and work through certain experiences. He will have to learn his way through to the top and only after he moves to the next level in the educational journey (Tyler). In contrast, Te Whariki has the flexibility of a range of patterns of learning and each step, each pattern is as important as the other for the child. Te Whariki is the framework from which all New Zealand early childhood services weave their curriculum. It is based on four guiding principles - holistic development, empowerment, relationships and family and community. Through these principles are woven the strands of strands of belonging, exploration, contribution, communication and contribution. Montessori teachers in New Zealand were also consulted during the development of Te Whariki. Te Whariki takes into account three different age groups – infants, toddlers and the young child. Empowerment implies the education provides children with resources to direct their own lives; holistic development recognizes that in early childhood education the physical, mental, social, cultural, intellectual and emotional dimensions are interwoven. Relationships, family and community environment are all interdependent and equally important for children. The five aims or the strands avoid the fragmentation of the early childhood curricula into physical, intellectual and social categories (Brewerton). The basic philosophy underpinning the early childhood curricula is that brain development of the child occurs in the first six years. The foundation has to be strong to be able to accept challenges later in life. Secondly, New Zealand caters to diverse communities and Te Whariki helps provide for this diversity (Tyler). Te Whariki helps regulate diverse approaches, and also provides for the cultural diversity. According to Eagle (2005), Te Whariki has been developed based on two crucial principles – the childhood education developers can design their own unique program to suit the local culture, traditions and environment but within the framework of Te Whariki. Secondly, it caters to the interests and aspirations of each individual child. This is the metaphorical significance to weaving as it creates a mat for all to stand on. The Te Whariki document also acknowledges the political nature of the early childhood education (Ritchie, 1996 cited by Page). In the traditional early childhood curricula the socially and politically embedded inequality and racism remain unchallenged while Te Whariki is based on the social and political reality and acts as a powerful instrument to overcome these challenges. Recent research has revealed that early childhood educators often grossly underestimate the capabilities of young children particularly in the numeracy skills and concepts while Te Whariki recognizes that development continuum is flexible and that different children of the same age can be at different places in the continuum. At the same time, it is also possible that the same child can be at different places in different development areas (Brewerton). For early childhood educators to be able to provide programs appropriate to the needs of the each child, they must first be in a position to assess the individual needs. This facility has been enhanced in the Te Whariki as it has a number of broad objectives in the areas of knowledge, skills and attitudes, which help to determine the learning needs of the children. Broad objectives have been laid down which guide the educator on the outcome of defined inputs. Assessment has also been identified as an integral part of the curriculum. Standardized tests and checklists are often used as methods of assessment but these carry the danger of being misused. Research on the methods of assessments in New Zealand indicates that the appropriateness of the program becomes limited if the educators have not been able to assess the learning needs of the children (Burns, 1995 cited by Brewerton). This assessment of learning needs has been possible with Te Whariki. Assessment needs to be on-going because performance of children can vary from subject to subject and even vary by the hour. The purpose of assessment and evaluation is to enhance learning and to inform the parents, the community and the government of the progress. Te Whariki recognizes that each child performs at a different pace at different times. Tyler states that the teachers have begun to understand that narrative method of assessment can support learning based on the principals of Empowerment, Holistic Development, Family and Community and Relationships. The school curriculum should not determine the early childhood curriculum because the school curriculum does not cater to the learning needs of the infants, toddlers and young children. Nevertheless, the two curricula have to be consistent with each other to make the transition smooth for the child. The structure, principles, aims, goals and objectives used by Te Whariki is consistent with the school curriculum (Brewerton). The curriculum integrates learning and care, which is essential if the needs of the young children have to be addressed. Besides, Te Whariki also adheres to the framework of the New Zealand curriculum, which incorporates seven essential areas and eight essential skills. Te Whariki incorporates all these essential skills. Even the teachers have expressed interest in relying on the Te Whariki in development of learning programs. The principals of Te Whariki are sound and it is able to withstand scrutiny. The teachers keep adjusting their teaching methods to meet the interests and aspirations of the children and parents. The journey for the teachers too is a learning process and they feel privileged to have such a sound curriculum to work from (Tyler). Te Whariki recognizes that each child is different and can perform differently at different times. It also caters to the local situations, traditions and societal norms. It does not believe in the traditional methods of assessment. Te Whariki is able to cater to the diverse needs of the children from diverse backgrounds and communities. It recognizes the learning needs of each individual child and particularly of the female and the disabled children. Te Whariki provides an educational foundation with a range of skills and knowledge that children will need as life-long learners. It is a holistic approach with involvement of the family and the community. The children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things. It gives a sense of security and belonging to the child. Each child’s contribution is recognized and valued. The health of the child is protected and nurtured. It instills a sense of confidence in them and the capacity to acquire new knowledge and skill. It has provided an exciting and challenging method to the teachers, which enthuses them with renewed interest everyday. Most importantly, it works within the New Zealand Curriculum Framework. References: Brewerton, M. (1996), Te Whariki: National Early Childhood Curricula Guidelines and Its relationship with the New Zealand Curriculum for schools, 06 Sept 2006 Dops (1996), Revised Statement of Desirable Objectives and Practices (DOPs) for Chartered Early Childhood Services in New Zealand, 06 Sept 2006 Eagle, G. (2005), Te Whariki, 06 Sept 2006 EI (2005), New Zealand: The Case for Early Childhood Teachers, Education International, 06 Sept 2006 PPG (1998), Providing Positive Guidance, Ministry of Education, 06 Sept 2006 Page, J. M. Reframing the Early Childhood Curriculum : Educational Imperatives for the Future. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge, 2000. p 56-58 Tyler, J. (2005), Te Whaariki the New Zealand Curriculum Framework, World Forum on Early Care and Education, 06 Sept 2006 Read More