Abstract
Traditionally, early childhood education and special education needs policy developments have held a low status in national and international political agendas. However, over the recent decade, there has been an intense surge of political interest at international and national levels. This surge has resulted in an unprecedented number of educational policy reforms, policy documents, and opportunities for practice to develop and respond to these changes. Due to the considerable international interest in early childhood, paralleled with similar international interest in inclusive policies, this chapter aims to examine the way early childhood care and education (ECCE), early childhood education and care (ECEC), and/or early childhood education (ECE) policy shapes the attitudes and actions of those working with babies and young children. The chapter will open by introducing early childhood provision in the international context before moving to inclusion, defining inclusion, assumptions, attitudes, perceptions, and including children.
TopIntroduction
Children come into the world burning to learn. They are naturally curious, naturally playful, and they explore and play in ways to teach them about the social and physical world to which they must adapt (Gray, 2013, p. 71).
Despite increasing understanding, internationally, around the importance of including children and families from diverse backgrounds, such as gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, home languages; children’s health, behaviour, learning needs or disabilities; communities and family structure, families’ religious affiliation and immigration status within early childhood programs and provision, ECEC/ECCE/ECE settings potentially hold immense inequality. This may occur in both direct and non-direct ways through notice and display boards, parent communication, curriculum planning, teaching, learning and caring resources, use of language and labels, adult interactions and the implementation of early childhood provision policies. As such, the driving force behind this chapter is to think about early childhood inclusive policies as statements of philosophies, accountability and a strategy with intent towards making a difference relating to matters of principles and practices for babies and young children across an array of cultural contexts.
Evidently, inclusive practice in early childhood is seen as beneficial for all children. For example, early intervention techniques designed and developed for children with disabilities and special needs are useful in enhancing the development of all children (O’Brien, 2002, p. 2). This chapter provides a baseline point of reference on perspectives on inclusion and inclusive pedagogies in early childhood in the context of ECCE/ECEC/ECE programs and provision in general for practitioners, educators, teachers, professors, educational researchers, administrators, leaders and policy-makers alike, and for early childhood studies students at undergraduate and graduate levels.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Marginalisation: Treating a particular group, community, individual or concept as insignificant or peripheral.
Schoolification: The ideology that circulates preparing children for school.
Educaring: The concept that all children are competent and capable.
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): A place/setting that cares and educates young children typically from birth to the age of four.
Neoliberalisation: Dominant ideology permeating educational polices and reform.
Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): A place/setting that cares and educates young children typically from birth to the age of four.