scholarly journals Critical reflections of early childhood care and education in Singapore to build an inclusive society

2020 ◽  
pp. 147821032097110
Author(s):  
Lynn Ang ◽  
Lasse Lipponen ◽  
Sirene Lim May Yin
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Life Journey ◽  
Strategic Policy ◽  
Inclusive Society ◽  
Critical Reflections

The early childhood years are pivotal as they mark the beginning of a young child’s life journey into education. This paper offers critical reflections of the early childhood care and education landscape in Singapore as it has evolved over the last decade. The discussion will draw on findings of the study Vital Voices for Vital Years 2 (2019) to explicate the issues, debates and challenges facing the early childhood care and education sector. It argues that recent developments in the sector with stepped increases in government funding and strategic policy development, augmented by the establishment of national agencies committed to improving the quality of care and education, have achieved significant milestones in the country. However, a more critical perspective of the role of early childhood in policy and practice to meet the diverse needs of young children and families is necessary for envisioning education as a pathway to inclusion and social equality, and for building a truly inclusive society.

scholarly journals Interrogating the ‘artificial’ divide between health and education for children aged 0–3 years in urban poor locales in Kenya

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelia Munene ◽  
Auma Okwany
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Childhood Health ◽  
Early Childhood Health ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care

Holistic integrated early childhood policies foster child well-being in the first 3 years of life. The normative framing of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) entrenches segmentation and creates artificial divides between education and health. This segmentation persists yet development processes for children are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. We trouble this artificial divide by drawing on findings from a study which examined the discursive care spaces in an urban poor locale in Kenya. Data were produced through in-depth interviews; participant observation and focus group discussions with caregivers and both state and non-state care providers. Using a socio-ecological lens to analyse intra- and inter-household interactions among caregivers, our analysis exposes the assumptions and silences in ECCE health and education and presents caregivers’ rich nuanced experiences and counter accounts. We conclude by calling for the imperative of bridging the divide between and within early childhood health and education to support integrated, adaptive and contextualised policy and practice.

scholarly journals ‘Every mother dances her baby’: Contextually responsive narratives of early childhood care and education in Kenya and Uganda

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Auma Okwany
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Structural Vulnerability ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Childhood Care

Despite major steps towards providing early childhood care and education (ECCE) services in Kenya and Uganda, access to responsive services is still out of reach for many young children, and where available, they are often out of touch with local realities. In this paper, I trouble the universalising and totalising tendencies of the dominant narrative of ECCE as a template of thought and action and highlight the role of indigenous knowledge as a critical but often missing link in ECCE policy and practice. I draw on the situated experiences of caregivers and local communities, which counter the dominant narrative and argue that culturally responsive ECCE requires contextually sensitive policy and programmes. Such policies should affirm and support the important role of local knowledge in the care and socialisation of young children. Policies should also recognise the informal resilient social protection system without obscuring the role of the state in addressing structural vulnerability.

Infant-toddler care in Singapore: Journey towards quality

2020 ◽  
pp. 147821032096650
Author(s):  
Sandra Wu ◽  
Ambika Perisamy
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Teacher Quality ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Developmental Needs ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Custodial Care ◽  
The Government

In Singapore, early childhood care and education has evolved according to the nation’s needs since its independence in 1965. From a welfare scheme to custodial care, early childhood care and education is now recognised as a critical part of children’s learning and development. Over the years, the government has progressively implemented policies to raise the quality of early childhood care and education and while increased efforts have been effective, there is still a gap between policy and practice. This article reviews the policies and frameworks throughout the history of early childhood care and education, with a focus on infant toddler care and examines some of the alignment and gaps. It identifies two key areas for improvement – staff to child ratio and teacher quality for quality infant toddler care. In the current staff to child ratio, an ‘educarer’ oversees 5 children between 2 and 18 months. This indicates that the educarer needs to be well trained for this role to cater to a wide range of learning and developmental needs. However, the quality of teacher training has been disparate and was only harmonised in 2017. This suggests that the quality of educarers is still uneven in the sector. In terms of qualifications, educarers only need to fulfil the minimum level of teacher certification, which means that the youngest children in their most formative years are being taught and cared for by the least qualified educators ( Bull and Bautista, 2018 ). Cognisant of these issues, this article proposes recommendations to address issues of manpower allocation and teacher quality.

Development of Quality Early Childhood Care and Education (QECCE) Scale: Factor Structural and Psychometric Properties

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 385-396
Author(s):  
Wong Kung-Teck ◽  
Jamilah Omar ◽  
Sopia Md Yassin ◽  
Mazlina Che Mustafa ◽  
Norazilawati Abdullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Scale Factor ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care
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