Early Childhood, Pedagogy, Implications and Poverty

 

‘An ageing society that does not care for its young has a death wish’ Professor Dame Anne Salmond

 

Poverty is an on-going cycle that is very hard to break, especially for children who consider living in poverty ‘the norm’.  Children living in these conditions find it difficult to believe that it can ever improve because they know nothing else (Brodie & Wood, 1998).  Local and international studies have shown that quality early childhood education (ECE)will help children to succeed in their future in various ways but especially in school (St John & Wynd, 2008; Nash, 1993).  Children who attend ECE centres are likely to lessen the effects of future poverty as ECE instils developmental foundations that potentially increase children’s learning outcomes and improve their chances of better employment in future (OECD, 2009).

 

Government funding for children in low income families to attend ECE centres are still being implemented, however, their policies undervalue and under appreciate the teachers in this sector and devalue the role they play in bringing children and families out of poverty.  The Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Education http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj28/28-towards-coherent-care-and-education-support-policies-for-new-zealand-families-p46-76.html#AconciseoverviewofPolicyObjectivesOutcomesandSupportSystemsinOECDCountries4%20 instigated by the Labour-led government set out to get 100% fully registered teachers in all ECE facilities by 2012 (Ministry of Social Development, 2006).  But when the government changed so did the policy.  The 100% qualified policy is now cut to 80% qualified with further cuts to funding for training in professional development, ultimately increasing the burden on teachers and their on-going training (GreatStart100%, n.d).  This change in policy can have repercussions on children’s learning and development now and in their future. This does not mean unqualified staff should be undermined or devalued with what they bring into centres; however, it outlines gaps in their knowledge and understanding of how their personal values, beliefs and ideas can impact on children’s learning and development whose backgrounds and perspectives differ from their own (GreatStart100%, n.d). 
Because the government ensures that children’s cultural capital is not taken into account; this has resulted in negative outcomes, the main one being underachieving in education.  The added pressure on qualified staff to make sure this does not happen can also lead to valuable time being taken from children’s learning (Ministry of Social Development, 2006).  It is important that children’s diversity and background from which they come are supported and positive outcomes are valued within the centre environment. This enables them to learn and develop within their own unique context and pace (Ministry of Social Development, 2006).  This approach is essential in bridging the gap between low and high income earners. Lessening the impact of poverty through education will not only increase the possible outcomes for children and their families, but will also minimalize the impact poverty has on the societies in which they come from (Ministry of Social Development, 2006).  Click the following ProQuest website for an in-depth read on the government, ECE funding, ECE teachers, parents working and loads more. http://library.eit.ac.nz:2055/docview/233250480/13DBAE51C68503B77B8/1?accountid=39646

A pedagogical implication that an early childhood teacher can use within the centre environment is Bronfenbrenner's ‘ecological theory’ outlined in Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education,1996). Poverty is a social issue embedded in a child's microsystem through to their chronosystem (Berk, 2010). If a child's home life is affected by poverty, then the teacher's pedagogical practice will need to change in order to support these vulnerable needs of the children accordingly (Berk, 2010).  The ‘ecological theory’ provides a conceptual framework that recognises that social issues cannot be looked at in isolation outside of global, sociocultural, political and personal influences (Berk, 2010).  A child’s development and learning cannot commence without taking into consideration the impact of all these factors within a wider social/political context, and awareness that all development takes place through social/cultural activities (Berk, 2010).  If a child’s understanding of their world is steeped in their cultural context and social interactions, as stated within the Early Childhood Curriculum Te Whāriki, then teaching, learning and children’s development is embedded in the context of social relationships, educational government policies and politics (Ministry of Education, 1996).

 

Thank you so much for following my blog on 'New Zealand Child Poverty'.  I have learnt so much throughout my poverty blog journey.  It has opened my eyes to the hardship a lot of families live in and the many factors they have to deal with on a daily bases in order to survive.  At the end of the day our children are the Taonga and future of Aotearoa and therefore should be treated them as such.  I believe in order for that to be achieved legislation change is needed and the government need to step-up and devise a 5-10 year plan that actively fights against child poverty.