Book review: Global perspectives on human capital in early childhood education: Reconceptualizing theory, policy, and practice

Abstract This paper develops an overlapping generations model of criminal behavior, which extends prior research on crime by taking into account parental decisions about their children's education and about sending them to school when they become adolescents. Additionally, it is also assumed that acquired ability in childhood and school resources interplay to determine the student's probability of leaving school before graduation. Therefore, considering that dropping out of school and criminality are endogenously determined by the quality of early childhood education, school inputs and law enforcement parameters, this paper offers a framework to study the effects of interventions in early education on criminality and human capital accumulation vis-à-vis enhancing school resources and public spending on enforcement. Numerical simulations show that stimuli to increase investments in the education of children from disadvantaged families are much more cost-effective as a crime-prevention policy than expenditures on school resources and police protection.

Download Full-text

Book review: Amanda Bateman, Conversation Analysis and Early Childhood Education: The Co-production of Knowledge and Relationships

Discourse Studies ◽

10.1177/1461445617694739d ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 367-369

Author(s):

Eric Hauser

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Conversation Analysis ◽

Production Of Knowledge ◽

Childhood Education

Download Full-text

Vaccination uptake among Australian early childhood education staff: assessing perceptions, behaviours and workplace practices

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-019-4427-z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Holly Seale ◽

Stephanie Dwyer ◽

Alamgir Kabir ◽

Rajneesh Kaur

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Center Staff ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Staff Members ◽

Education Centre ◽

Mandatory Vaccination

Abstract Background Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC) staff are strongly recommended to receive several immunizations including influenza and pertussis. However, evidence regarding the uptake is either old or lacking across all Australian States/Territories. This study aimed to explore the attitudes and barriers around ECEC staff vaccination and the immunisation policy/practices employed at their workplaces. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken of staff members (administrators and childcare center staff) in early 2017. We compared the individual’s knowledge, attitude and practices as well as the centre’s policy and practice variables between the vaccinated and unvaccinated respondents. A logistic model was used to identify the factors associated with uptake of the different vaccines. Results A total of 575 ECEC staff completed the survey. Sixty percent reported being aware of the recommendations about staff immunisation. While participants did acknowledge that they could spread diseases if unvaccinated (86%), 30% could not recall receiving a dTpa in the last 10 years. Private centres were less likely to provide free or onsite vaccination compared to other categories of centres. Less than half reported receiving any encouragement to get the influenza vaccine and only 33% reported that their centre provides onsite influenza vaccination. Regarding the introduction of mandatory policies, 69% stated that they would support a policy. Conclusion Employers should consider supporting methods to maximize vaccination of their employees including providing free onsite vaccination. Participants were open to idea of mandatory vaccination; however, this needs to be explored further to determine how vaccine costs and access issues could be resolved.

Download Full-text

Spaces for Gender Equity in Australian Early Childhood Education in/Between Discourses of Human Capital and Feminism

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood ◽

10.23965/ajec.42.3.07 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 54-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sheralyn Campbell ◽

Kylie Smith ◽

Kate Alexander

Keyword(s):

Human Capital ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Gender Equity ◽

Quality Standard ◽

Early Years ◽

Childhood Education ◽

National Quality ◽

Relations Of Power ◽

Regime Of Truth

IN THIS ARTICLE WE use feminist post-structuralist concepts of discourse and relations of power to question how a neoliberal regime of truth in Australian early childhood education impacts educators currently working for gender equity with children, prior to their entry to schooling. We show how this regime of truth is endorsed and transferred in and by key documents of the Australian National Quality Framework (NQF) including the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) in which discourses of universal rights, individual freedom and choice, and human capital dominate approaches to inclusion and diversity that govern gender equity work (ACECQA, 2011, 2017a, 2017b; DEEWR, 2009; NSW Education, 2016). Our article addresses how some educators use their understandings of feminism to negotiate spaces for gender equity work within the theoretical, political and ethical tensions arising in/between discourses that constitute this neoliberal regime of truth.

Download Full-text