Commodification, corporatisation and children's spaces.For increasing numbers of Australian children, childcare is part of their everyday experiences. The marketisation and corporatisation of education have been under discussion for some time, particularly in relation to schooling. There has been comparatively little public scrutiny of how this trend might impact on, and shape Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC ECEC Electrochemical Engine Center ECEC European Center for Environmental Communication ). This article explores the existing and potential impacts of privatisation Noun 1. privatisation - changing something from state to private ownership or control denationalisation, denationalization, privatization social control - control exerted (actively or passively) by group action and corporatisation of ECEC in terms of how these constrain con·strain tr.v. con·strained, con·strain·ing, con·strains 1. To compel by physical, moral, or circumstantial force; oblige: felt constrained to object. See Synonyms at force. 2. and are reshaping the vision and the practice of what is done for children in the prior-to-school sector. ********** Little public recognition is given to either the limits that democracies must place on market power or how corporate culture and its narrow definition of freedom as a private good, actually may threaten the wellbeing of children and democracy itself. In short, the conflation (database) conflation - Combining or blending of two or more versions of a text; confusion or mixing up. Conflation algorithms are used in databases. of democracy with the market cancels the tension between market moralities and those values of civil society that cannot be measured in strictly commercial terms but that are critical to democratic public life. I'm referring specifically to values such as justice, respect for children and the rights of citizens. (Giroux, 2000, p. 2) Between 1993 and 2002, the numbers of children in formal childcare settings increased by 39 per cent (Moyle, Kelly, Aydinli, & Middleton, 2003), and with the increasing government emphasis on workforce participation, this trend is likely to continue. Accompanying this increase has been a significant shift in the nature of childcare provision away from the community-based sector, with the private, for-profit sector now providing most long day care places throughout Australia. More recently, the corporate sector has become a major player, with one publicly listed company listed company n → compañía cotizable listed company n → société cotée en Bourse listed company list n → now owning 17 per cent of childcare centres. Regularly featuring in the finance sections of Australian newspapers, corporatisation is placing the provision of childcare in a different and unexpected commercial mainstream. However, in the provision of children's services, there is far more at stake for a community than business potential. Key issues, including the purposes of early childhood services, the importance of quality provision and the conditions of those working in the sector are rarely, if ever, rehearsed in such contexts. The confluence confluence /con·flu·ence/ (kon´floo-ins) 1. a running together; a meeting of streams.con´fluent 2. in embryology, the flowing of cells, a component process of gastrulation. of growing corporatisation, increasing participation in formal early childhood services and international public policy attention to the relationship between ECEC and children's learning and development (for instance, the OECD OECD: see Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Thematic Review of ECEC) drives us to consider whether childcare has become big business in a way that reframes the potentialities of social and educational policy for young children. This analysis comes at a point when corporate providers active in childcare are growing and expressing interest in the school sector. For many children, the experience of childcare is one which they have from infancy until commencement of schooling. Children who enter full-time childcare when they are babies and stay until they enter school, spend almost the same number of hours in an early childhood setting as they will for the whole of their schooling (National Childcare Accreditation Council Accreditation Council may refer to:
intr.v. con·versed, con·vers·ing, con·vers·es 1. To engage in a spoken exchange of thoughts, ideas, or feelings; talk. See Synonyms at speak. 2. points to the adverse impact of poor quality on children's concurrent and ongoing development (Peisner-Feinberg et al., 2000). The aim of this article is to provoke debate on the impact of privatisation and corporatisation in ECEC in constraining con·strain tr.v. con·strained, con·strain·ing, con·strains 1. To compel by physical, moral, or circumstantial force; oblige: felt constrained to object. See Synonyms at force. 2. and reshaping the vision and the practice of what we do for children. We begin by describing the current policy and arrangements for provision. The article then identifies key issues, including questions around the 'consumption' of childcare, and issues of consumer choice and how these play out in a marketised context. Emerging tensions between children's wellbeing, regulation and the market are then explored. Alternative imaginings imaginings Noun, pl speculative thoughts about what might be the case or what might happen; fantasies: lurid imaginings of the place and purposes of early childhood services are then considered in terms of constructions of the child as citizen. This suggests a broader social vision for early childhood in the fabric of the Australian community. The article concludes by identifying areas in which further work is required to provide a more fully informed understanding of what is occurring and possible directions for early childhood service provision. Current arrangements and context The incursion in·cur·sion n. 1. An aggressive entrance into foreign territory; a raid or invasion. 2. The act of entering another's territory or domain. 3. of corporatisation and privatisation is most evident in centre-based long day care. However, early childhood education is a complex and fragmented policy area in which numerous ambiguities, tensions and contradictions co-exist. Arguably ar·gu·a·ble adj. 1. Open to argument: an arguable question, still unresolved. 2. That can be argued plausibly; defensible in argument: three arguable points of law. , these ambiguities and tensions have contributed significantly to the rise of corporate childcare. Evident in the policies which have shaped the provision of early childhood education are competing views about the role and desirability of education and care services for young children. Ailwood (2004, p. 19) found that 'the education of young children is deeply embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. in a range of complex and contradictory 'adult' discourses and knowledges, including those of motherhood, politics, worker, citizen and the economy'. This has contributed to an ambiguity of purpose. The Australian standards and policies established for ECEC provide an example of contested space, where conflicting views about their purpose are played out. The Commonwealth, state and territory governments, and in some jurisdictions, local government all play a role in ECEC. Childcare provision is reliant upon a mix of government, non-profit and for-profit providers. In some jurisdictions, preschool is government-provided and universal, in others it is not. Some jurisdictions divide the education and care of children between the portfolios of community services and education, others do not. NSW NSW New South Wales Noun 1. NSW - the agency that provides units to conduct unconventional and counter-guerilla warfare Naval Special Warfare requires the employment of early childhood teachers in both long day care and preschool, but many other jurisdictions require teachers only in preschool. Although early childhood curricula exist in most states and territories, there are substantial variations in philosophical approach, content, and the age range, services and staff to which they apply. Such fragmentation emanates from the lack of a shared philosophical underpinning un·der·pin·ning n. 1. Material or masonry used to support a structure, such as a wall. 2. A support or foundation. Often used in the plural. 3. Informal The human legs. Often used in the plural. which the OECD Country Note (2001, p. 46) observed left ECEC in Australia 'open to influences from all sides'. Three constructions of ECEC dominate the Australian policy landscape. The first construction limits conceptual understandings of care to physical safety and well-being provided by a parental (read 'mother') substitute. The subsidisation Noun 1. subsidisation - money (or other benefits) obtained as a subsidy subsidization money - the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender; "we tried to collect the money he owed us" 2. of childcare fees by government ties such provision to economic goals and labour force participation, with the primary objective of the Commonwealth Childcare Program 'helping families to participate in the social and economic life of the community through the provision of support for childcare services' (Family and Community Services [FaCS], 2003b). Funded policy initiatives within the federal government's Stronger Families and Communities Strategy construct early childhood as the site of remediation of the effects of socioeconomic so·ci·o·ec·o·nom·ic adj. Of or involving both social and economic factors. socioeconomic Adjective of or involving economic and social factors Adj. 1. disadvantage, offering potential for social integration. This construction provides an expanded view of early childhood as a social institution. It also constructs ECEC as a 'technology for social stability and economic progress, the young child as a redemptive vehicle to be programmed to become a solution to certain problems ... instrumental in rationality, universalist in ethics, technical in its approach' (Moss, 2001, p. 13). A third view links early childhood to schooling and hence focused on 'preparation' for school. These policy ambiguities have facilitated the rise of corporate provision. The administrative complexity and multiple accountability requirements accumulating from various tiers of government have undermined the capacity of voluntary community- and parent-based committees to run services efficiently. Changes in patterns of parental workforce participation mean that the typical arrangements of preschool do not accommodate the needs of many families and the absence of a universal preschool
Today, the private sector provides most long day care centres in Australia (67 per cent in June 2001) with the non-profit community-based sector dominating the provision of other types of funded services, predominantly family day care and outside school hours care (96 per cent) (Moyle et al., 2003). Preschool is predominantly the province of state and territory education departments. At the end of 2004, the Australian Competition and Consumers Council (ACCC ACCC Association of Canadian Community Colleges ACCC Australian Competition & Consumer Commission ACCC Association of Community Cancer Centers ACCC Academic Computing and Communications Center ACCC American College of Chiropractic Consultants ) approved the merger of two of Australia's largest corporate childcare providers, ABC Learning ABC Learning Centres Ltd. is an Australian company that is the world's largest provider of childcare services. It is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of $2.5 billion as at March 2006. and Peppercorn pep·per·corn n. 1. A dried berry of the pepper vine Piper nigrum. 2. A small or insignificant thing. peppercorn Noun the small dried berry of the pepper plant . The merger has resulted in approximately 17 per cent of long day care centres in Australia being owned by the one corporation which is also interested in establishing 'for-profit' schools (Novak, 2005). Policy questions Corporatisation may be regarded as a consolidation of privatisation and private sector power. Both the privatisation and corporatisation of children's services are expressions of a global/local economic agenda where the citizen has been replaced by the consumer (Giroux, 2000), and the notion of publicly supported infrastructure has been replaced by dependence on the market. Here, democracy is no longer a political concept, rather a wholly economic concept (Apple, 2005). As democracy struggles to retain its value as a political virtue concerned with the collective good of the public, the notion of democratic participation is replaced by a concept of consumer choice. Thus we need to ask, what is happening to early childhood in the age of the consumer? How is it 'sold' in an era of increasing corporatisation? What images and understandings of children are being constructed? What is being lost and gained? The marketisation vis-a-vis schooling has given rise to the increasing role for the corporate sector in relation to the following: advice and policy direction, connections between education and the labour market; promotion of school-industry links; advertising sponsorship and philanthropy philanthropy, the spirit of active goodwill toward others as demonstrated in efforts to promote their welfare. The term is often used interchangeably with charity. ; curriculum development; and models of business management (Epstein & Kenway, 1996). What is distinctive about the childcare sector is the issue of corporate provision. While marketisation has played out differently in the early childhood sector, particularly through corporate provision, this experience signals potential trends for the future of schooling. Issues of consumer 'choice' Who is the consumer of childcare? In line with the dominant discourse, the immediate common response is 'the parents'. Parents are the 'buyers' of the childcare place, albeit subsidised Adj. 1. subsidised - having partial financial support from public funds; "lived in subsidized public housing" subsidized supported - sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support); "a club entirely supported by membership dues"; by the government. Although parental demand may have enabled governments to legitimise Verb 1. legitimise - make legal; "Marijuana should be legalized" decriminalise, decriminalize, legalise, legalize, legitimate, legitimatise, legitimatize, legitimize the creation of the market, children 'consume' the daily experience of childcare. This raises questions of whose choice, what choice and how might choices be manipulated. The exercise of market choice is applied without regard for children's experiences as the ultimate consumers of childcare. In the frame of citizenship, child as citizen may have an entitlement to responsive and engaging education and care. However, the reconstruction of citizen as consumer reconstructs the purposes of early childhood education and care in problematic ways, as the equation of democracy with consumer choice erodes notions of a collective responsibility for public good through a privatised and individualised Adj. 1. individualised - made for or directed or adjusted to a particular individual; "personalized luggage"; "personalized advice" individualized, personalised, personalized protection of self-interest. In the theory of the market, competition enhances choices. Thus in the market of ECEC, parents will exercise their democratic right to choose a childcare place which meets their desires. This simplistic sim·plism n. The tendency to oversimplify an issue or a problem by ignoring complexities or complications. [French simplisme, from simple, simple, from Old French; see simple understanding fails to recognise the tangible limits to exercising choice because of the complex interplay in·ter·play n. Reciprocal action and reaction; interaction. intr.v. in·ter·played, in·ter·play·ing, in·ter·plays To act or react on each other; interact. of factors associated with availability, affordability, quality and the imperfect imperfect: see tense. information upon which parents base their decisions. Both affordability and availability limit choices. For many parents (predominantly women) returning to work after the birth of a child, choice may be nonexistent non·ex·is·tence n. 1. The condition of not existing. 2. Something that does not exist. non . There is an acknowledged shortage of childcare places for infants and toddlers and some women report being placed in the unenviable position of having to take the only place available, or affordable, in order to resume paid work. At the other end of the spectrum, centres may be competing for enrolments for children age over three. An oversupply o·ver·sup·ply n. pl. o·ver·sup·plies A supply in excess of what is appropriate or required. tr.v. o·ver·sup·plied, o·ver·sup·ply·ing, o·ver·sup·plies of places for this age group exists in some areas because of the lower cost of provision and higher profitability. Additionally, some, government supported preschools provide an alternative for those families with older children who do not require full day care. There are further complexities regulating the exercise of market choice, when it is available. Several studies have found that parents tend to overestimate o·ver·es·ti·mate tr.v. o·ver·es·ti·mat·ed, o·ver·es·ti·mat·ing, o·ver·es·ti·mates 1. To estimate too highly. 2. To esteem too greatly. the quality of childcare they purchase relative to assessments of objective measures of quality (Cryer CRYER, practice. An officer in a court whose duty it is to make various proclamations ordered by the court. & Burchinal, 1997; Helburn, 1995; Mocan, 2001). Reasons for this overestimation o·ver·es·ti·mate tr.v. o·ver·es·ti·mat·ed, o·ver·es·ti·mat·ing, o·ver·es·ti·mates 1. To estimate too highly. 2. To esteem too greatly. of quality include parents lack of knowledge about what to look for, imperfect information about what they are purchasing, or an emotional need to view the childcare as better than it is. As researchers observed: Many parents have never purchased childcare before ... working parents have little time to seek out and evaluate childcare, even if they knew entirely what they were looking for, and the direct consumer of childcare, the child cannot easily communicate with the parent about what kind of care is being delivered ... and the effect of good or bad childcare is seldom immediately apparent. (Cleveland & Krashinsky, 2002, p. 39) These research findings about the limits of parents' capacity for making informed choices suggest that it is unlikely that these consumers exert an upward pressure on the market to improve or deliver quality in ECEC. Implications of a marketised context These findings lead to the question of how childcare is marketed to parents. In a historical analysis of marketing to children in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , Cross (2002, p. 442) refers to 'child rearing in an age of consumption'. Although he examines the world of advertising, not childcare, his analysis provides a useful frame through which we can view its marketing. He argues that advertising in the consumer age has constructed children as 'valves of adult (consumer) desire' and as such 'adults expression of love for children has justified and encouraged more consumption' (Cross, 2002, p. 442). If childcare is a site of consumer desire, it is worthwhile to consider the images of children that are generated through marketisation. This is not an issue confined con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. to the private or corporate sector. Both not-for-profit and for-profit services vie for clientele because of the reliance on the market to address supply and demand issues. We examined seven websites advertising childcare services: two corporate, two large not-for-profit providers, two local government providers, and one not-for-profit multi-site provider. Images of children depicted de·pict tr.v. de·pict·ed, de·pict·ing, de·picts 1. To represent in a picture or sculpture. 2. To represent in words; describe. See Synonyms at represent. were largely Anglo-Saxon-Celtic (white male, and blond female). Kenway and Bullen (2005) found that these images also dominate popular media culture directed at youthful consumers. Only one website offered images of children that were not recognisable as 'Anglo'. Only one website depicted images of adults in the early childhood setting itself (as distinct from photos of executive officers and directors). In this instance, both were young, blonde, professional women, one representing a staff member, and one a mother). Websites from both sectors used the language of development and learning. The language and images of the corporate websites emphasised laughter, happiness and safety. Some of the images offered idealised Adj. 1. idealised - exalted to an ideal perfection or excellence idealized perfect - being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish; "a perfect circle"; "a perfect reproduction"; "perfect happiness"; "perfect manners"; "a perfect specimen"; "a fun-filled childhoods. The language offered reassurance. Parents need not feel guilty taking their children there because the kids themselves want to go (a challenge to the still-heard claims that children should be home with their mothers). The not-for-profit providers tended to give more information about staff qualifications, centre programs and information about their particular philosophy and mission. In positioning consumption as a means of adults expressing their love for their children, the marketing of childcare suggests a way for parents to buy their children days filled with happiness. This is an appealing image for many parents. However, this message, along with the homogenised Adj. 1. homogenised - formed by blending unlike elements especially by reducing one element to particles and dispersing them throughout another substance homogenized blended - combined or mixed together so that the constituent parts are indistinguishable cultural views of children and families, does not encourage deep reflection about the possibilities of ECEC as a 'community institution of social solidarity' (Moss, 2001). A key outcome of policy changes over the last 15 years is that Australian families and the Australian Government now depend on the market for the provision of early childhood services. This trend is a response to and expression of the neo-liberal ideological project. It encapsulates the belief in the capacity of state-regulated market mechanisms to respond appropriately to community needs for infrastructure and services. Privatisation and the dependency upon the private sector exert additional policy influences requiring closer examination. Privatisation has reconstructed re·con·struct tr.v. re·con·struct·ed, re·con·struct·ing, re·con·structs 1. To construct again; rebuild. 2. services within the non-profit sector The nonprofit sector, also called the third sector, civic sector or voluntary sector, is a third area of an economy, distinct from the public sector and the private sector. It is made up of all of the non-profit organizations in the economy. as enterprises which must operate on business principles, competing for the clientele by marketing themselves to the community. This carries a superficial appeal, through promising economic efficiencies, lower costs and competition enhancing choice. Absent from such a construction is a consideration of fundamental questions concerning what values should guide the development of infrastructure for children. The replacement of a commitment to community service with the rhetoric of business and business management was evident following the removal of operational subsidy to long day care. Non-profit services were urged to and received training in operating as small businesses. Challenged with balancing their finances after substantial funding cuts, many lost the capacity to respond to particular community needs and to provide the environments they desired for their children (Families at Work, 1997; Leppert, 2000; Penrith City Council, 1998). Privatisation has influenced the nature of policy debates. Policy discussions surrounding early childhood education and care have revealed that issues of business viability and community service lay claim to competing values. Private sector domination of long day care has tended to shift policy deliberations away from children's needs to issues of profitability. Some elements of the private sector have lobbied against policy mechanisms aimed at improving quality in ECEC, because of financial costs. For example, in the review of children's services regulations in NSW, the lowering of staff-to-child ratios for children under two years of age was opposed by some private sector lobby groups (Cox, 2003, pp. 18-19; Wood, 2003). This was despite research evidence supporting the benefits to children of having qualified staff working with smaller numbers of children (Lally, Tortes, & Phelps, 1994). Similarly, some in this sector are now seeking to redefine Verb 1. redefine - give a new or different definition to; "She redefined his duties" define, delimit, delimitate, delineate, specify - determine the essential quality of 2. 'teacher' to enable the recognition of less qualified staff to occupy positions for which the current state regulations require the employment of professional, tertiary educated teachers. A further impact of private sector dependency is that of residualisation. In the schooling and university sectors, residualisation has emerged as a significant effect of marketisation (Epstein & Kenway, 1996; Wilkinson, 1996). Residualisation arises when the private sector 'creams off' the low cost, higher return components of the provision. This is evident in the tight supply of places for children under two, where the cost of provision is highest. This leaves the community or 'public' sector to provide for these children and families with more complex requirements. The public is left to bear the burden of the higher cost while effectively subsidising profit-taking elsewhere in the sector. Under the market regime, service providers have to make difficult choices about how much 'inclusion' can be afforded. When financial viability and/or profitability are overarching o·ver·arch·ing adj. 1. Forming an arch overhead or above: overarching branches. 2. Extending over or throughout: "I am not sure whether the missing ingredient . . . concerns, the additional costs associated with catering for children with distinctive needs becomes an unaffordable un·af·ford·a·ble adj. Too expensive: medical care that has become unaffordable for many. un choice for some. In an early childhood system based upon values of inclusion, diversity and participation, such invidious in·vid·i·ous adj. 1. Tending to rouse ill will, animosity, or resentment: invidious accusations. 2. choices would not have to be made. Residualisation may also be a consequence of government policy inciting parental choice. Where parents are interested only in the private, individual benefits accruing for their own children in ECEC, they will tend to exercise market choice in an individualistic in·di·vid·u·al·ist n. 1. One that asserts individuality by independence of thought and action. 2. An advocate of individualism. in manner, rather than with regard to values of social inclusion and equity (Cleveland & Krashinsky, 2002). The social effects of such market choices are likely to work against the interests of diversity and for the re-inscription of existing social order. Tensions between the market, regulation and children's well-being At play in the politics of childcare is a tension between affordability, cost and quality. Childcare is expensive to buy, even with government subsidies, and the utilisation of childcare is price sensitive (Cassells, McNamara, Lloyd, & Harding, 2005). Any policy changes that increase or decrease the cost of care for parents have a noticeable impact on whether or not, and how, families use formal childcare services (Families at Work, 1997; Penrith City Council, 1998). Much of the expense of childcare provision comes from the cost of staffing. The cost of staffing is directly influenced by government regulations that determine staff qualifications (more highly qualified staff cost more) and ratios of staff to children (higher number of staff to children costs more). Yet it is precisely numbers and qualifications of staff that research establishes have a profound impact on the quality of service delivery (Smith 1996; Wylie, Thompson, & Kerslake Hendricks, 1996). While the research evidence linking children's developmental outcomes with their experiences in early childhood settings clearly connects positive outcomes (both concurrent and over time) with good quality settings, and adverse outcomes with poor quality settings (Phillipsen, Burchinal, Howes, & Cryer, 1997), competition primarily occurs over cost, not quality. This raises the question as to the extent to which governments expect business to fulfill social policy objectives. In Canada, measurements of quality in childcare centres have found that public centres are superior to private centres (Krashinsky, 1999) dispelling the argument that market forces and competition will take care of quality issues. Within a business model of ECEC, one way of keeping costs down, is to keep staffing costs low. While economies of scale, particularly in relation to administration, have some cost-reducing impact, the pressure is to contain the wages and conditions of staff, and limit service provision to the minimum regulatory standards. Contrast the budgeted staffing costs of one major corporation--56 per cent of fee income (Groves, Purdie, & Loveday, 2005) with that estimated for a break-even budget in the not-for-profit sector of 80 per cent (Goodfellow cited in Garrett, 2004). A former early childhood advisor to a corporate board captures the dilemma of pursuing profits versus providing services: I found the hardest part to be constantly reviewing the status of the children's services workforce within each child care centre ... constantly reviewing for profit, not for the service provision. In many cases, it was a financial decision rather than the program which needed so badly to have extra hours for staff. (Fewing cited in Garrett, 2004) A recent New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. study found that community-owned centres employed significantly higher percentages of staff with teaching qualifications, and significantly lower proportions of staff with no early childhood qualifications (Mitchell, 2002). Private centres employed the lowest percentage of teachers overall. The New Zealand government has recently addressed these concerns about quality through stronger mandating of teacher ratios in the regulatory framework. In NSW, an assessment of the cost impact of proposed changes to children's services regulations revealed that most centres that operated with higher than minimum staff to child ratios for children under two, operated in the community sector (Fisher & Patulny, 2004). Another study found that privately operated services were over-represented as holders of interim approvals from the regulator to employ lesser qualified staff instead of teachers, and one corporate provider held a percentage of interim approvals that was disproportionately dis·pro·por·tion·ate adj. Out of proportion, as in size, shape, or amount. dis pro·por high compared to the number of centres they ran
(Purcal & Fisher, 2004). Such findings indicate an urgent need to
gather detailed, comparable national data on staffing profiles within
the long day care sector especially given the critical shortage of
qualified early childhood staff throughout Australia (FaCS, 2003a;
Warrilow et al., 2002).
Staffing of early childhood programs in the preschool sector is intensely problematic. Low pay and poor conditions arise from a complex interplay of factors. These include the highly feminised nature of the profession and its concomitant concomitant /con·com·i·tant/ (kon-kom´i-tant) accompanying; accessory; joined with another. concomitant adjective Accompanying, accessory, joined with another associations with motherhood, as well as the philanthropic phil·an·throp·ic also phil·an·throp·i·cal adj. 1. Of, relating to, or marked by philanthropy; humanitarian. 2. Organized to provide humanitarian or charitable assistance: and social reform mindsets that characterise the early history of early childhood in Australia (Petrie, 1992; Scutt, 1992). A major report of the Commonwealth Childcare Advisory Council (CCCAC CCCAC Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee CCCAC Calvert County Cultural Arts Council (Maryland) ) Childcare: Beyond 2001 raised significant concerns about the status and standing of workers in the sector along with concerns about retaining and attracting people in the context of conditions that fuelled very high staff turnover. Many community-based and for-profit early childhood centres are staffed below the regulatory standards through a 'temporary' approval policy. Contrary to the conventional wisdom of the market, lack of supply has not resulted in improved wages and conditions. In fact, quite the opposite seems to occur as issues of quality and qualifications collide col·lide intr.v. col·lid·ed, col·lid·ing, col·lides 1. To come together with violent, direct impact. 2. with issues of profitability and viability. In the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of struggles over qualifications, status, pay and conditions are issues of professional identity. Sachs (1999, 2001) notes the effects of corporate managerialism In the field of administration, observers can characterise as managerialism those systems where they perceive a preponderance or excess of managerial techniques, solutions and personnel. in eroding strong professional identity in the schooling sector. In particular, school teachers are experiencing reduced professional autonomy professional autonomy, n the right and privilege provided by a governmental entity to a class of professionals, and to each qualified licensed caregiver within that profession, to provide services independent of supervision. as curriculum, pedagogical ped·a·gog·ic also ped·a·gog·i·cal adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of pedagogy. 2. Characterized by pedantic formality: a haughty, pedagogic manner. and assessment controls become increasingly regulated and micro-managed by governments. This changed environment has engendered a 'managerial professionalism' or 'entrepreneurial' identity among teachers who have become more individualistic, compliant and technical in their professional orientation which is based on principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Issues of compliance, autonomy and control are playing out differently in the marketised context of early childhood provision. In a study of ethics in early childhood leadership in the prior-to-school sector, centre directors shared experiences of how their tentative attempts at implementing an inclusive curriculum were challenged by a few staff and parents (Woodrow, 2002). In a context of oversupply of places for 3-5 years, and concerns about financial viability, they withdrew their socially progressive agenda. In effect, their attempts at implementing a socially inclusive vision were disciplined by selected market forces. Conflict emerged around definitions of teacher identity as a new state-developed curriculum became a commodity in the ECEC marketplace (Woodrow & Brennan, 1999). This research highlights the complexity of relationships in early childhood settings, competing ideals and purposes of ECEC and the powerful regulatory effects on curriculum and professional identity of market forces. Re-envisioning early childhood An alternative expanded vision for the early childhood environment is emerging from re-imaginings of the types of spaces created for and with children. Within this broader vision, early childhood is a site for the practice of democracy in which 'minor politics', becomes the vehicle for social engagement and transformation. [This raises the] possibility of understanding the early childhood institution as a forum in civil society where children and adults meet and participate together in projects of cultural, social, political and economic significance ... to be a community institution of social solidarity bearing cultural and symbolic significance. (Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 1999, p. 7) The re-imagined early childhood environment is a physical and discursive dis·cur·sive adj. 1. Covering a wide field of subjects; rambling. 2. Proceeding to a conclusion through reason rather than intuition. space that provides opportunities for many possible projects, including economic and social regeneration of local communities, a place for children's culture Children's culture can be defined in a great number of ways and suffers from being an incredibly broad category. In recent times the study of children's cultural artifacts, children's media and literature and the myths and discourses spun around the notion of childhood have all and relationships to be networked and a site for the practice of ethics (Moss, 2001). Within the early childhood community, teachers, practitioners, policy advocates, parents and children are already engaged in such projects. By facilitating children's active decision making and engagement in their communities, these early childhood environments become sites for acknowledging and celebrating children's competence as much as their creative capacities and potential. Taking the work and perspectives of children seriously opens up possibilities for repositioning repositioning Laparoscopic surgery The changing of a Pt's position during a procedure to improve access or visualization of the operative field, which may be linked to complications, as it changes anatomic planes of operation. Cf Laparoscopic surgery. children's status in the world. For instance, the early childhood programs established in Northern Italy Northern Italy comprises of two areas belonging to NUTS level 1:
tr.v. en·light·ened, en·light·en·ing, en·light·ens 1. To give spiritual or intellectual insight to: . The consultations informing the development of the ACT Children's Plan is a particular significant instance in this regard. Children themselves are, in this way, exposed to habits of mind which engender en·gen·der v. en·gen·dered, en·gen·der·ing, en·gen·ders v.tr. 1. To bring into existence; give rise to: "Every cloud engenders not a storm" an active and informed citizenship essential to the practice of robust democracy. Unfortunately, such approaches are not the common face of early childhood care and education. A policy context which privileges the expansion of privatised interests restricts these possibilities and limits the kinds of projects that a community might imagine for children and families in community. Equating e·quate v. e·quat·ed, e·quat·ing, e·quates v.tr. 1. To make equal or equivalent. 2. To reduce to a standard or an average; equalize. 3. democracy with consumers' market choices erodes notions of a collective responsibility for public goods, replacing it with an emphasis on private, individual protection of self-interest. Framing early childhood in terms of the education and care of democracy, where children are citizens, recognises their entitlements to engaging and responsive services. Where to from here? As academics in the field of early childhood, we have met many bright and committed students who intend to run their own childcare centres. There are also poor and good quality services across both for-profit and non-profit sectors. Many centres struggling with complex administrative and financial arrangements have welcomed the efficiencies and support offered by the corporations. We urge caution in using this analysis to dichotomise Verb 1. dichotomise - divide into two opposing groups or kinds dichotomize class, classify, sort out, assort, sort, separate - arrange or order by classes or categories; "How would you classify these pottery shards--are they prehistoric?" all not-for-profit services as 'good' and all private services as 'bad', or to equate e·quate v. e·quat·ed, e·quat·ing, e·quates v.tr. 1. To make equal or equivalent. 2. To reduce to a standard or an average; equalize. 3. privatisation with corporatisation (though both may be a continuation of the other), or to imply that the private sector speaks with one voice. Nevertheless, the issues that have been identified in this paper raise concerns about how the current and emerging trends in prior-to-school provision are limiting the vision of the potentialities of early childhood education and care in Australia. Current provision represents a philosophical shift from collective to individual responsibility, reshaping notions of civil society. This shift reflects competing understandings of the place of early childhood in Australian society and conflicting policy directions in state intervention. On the one hand, the state is cast as the residual provider of services, and on the other, directly intervening through regulation. As market forces gather momentum, ECEC seems headed on a path that continues to re-inscribe children as objects of social policy and their care and education as a private, individual, profit-making concern. There are mounting obstacles to a more robust and enhanced professional identity for those working in early childhood centres. They need appropriate remuneration REMUNERATION. Reward; recompense; salary. Dig. 17, 1, 7. and support in the project of forming and informing Australia's citizenry cit·i·zen·ry n. pl. cit·i·zen·ries Citizens considered as a group. citizenry Noun citizens collectively Noun 1. and, deepening deep·en tr. & intr.v. deep·ened, deep·en·ing, deep·ens To make or become deep or deeper. Noun 1. deepening - a process of becoming deeper and more profound and extending the fabric of its citizenry. Internationally, and nationally in localised localised - localisation pockets of provision, established and emerging programs are reconceptualising the place of children by engaging them as active social agents. However, there is diminishing space for reflection on the purposes of early childhood and the character of relationships between parents, children and society. The need to engage in a project of reconceptualisation of the space of education and care remains. The need to counter the limiting of vision with a deeper expanded vision remains. The need to move imaginings and constructions of early childhood away from the connotations of provider and purchaser, giver and taker tak·er n. One that takes or takes up something, such as a wager or purchase: There were no takers on the bets. taker Noun , producer and consumer remains. In this article, we have tried to extend knowledge of the complex interplay of factors at work in ECEC. There is more that requires investigation. Of central importance is the examination of intersection of macro and micro politics in the day-to-day realities of children's experiences. This invites 'fine-grained', evidence-rich research at both local and national levels. The research will be beneficial if it includes the development of a detailed national staffing profile and professionally based assessments of quality using validated research tools to provide an accurate picture of the quality of education and care in Australia. Children's agency should be positioned as a central project of ECEC, and as such this research should involve discussions with children about their experiences, fears and desires. Key words child advocacy Child advocacy refers to a range of individuals, professionals and advocacy organizations who promote the optimal development of children. An individual or organization engaging in advocacy typically seeks to protect children’s rights which may be abridged or abused in a privatisation child care centres public policy early childhood education private education References Ailwood, J. (2004). Genealogies of Governmentality: Producing and managing young children and their education. The Australian Educational Researcher, 31(3), 19-34. Apple, M. (2005). Are markets in education democratic? In M. Apple, J. Kenway & M. Singh (Eds.), Globalizing education: Policies, pedagogies and politics. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. 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