From vision to practice: are children at the centre or clinging on at the periphery of practice within early childhood care and education provision? (Pre-published version)

Abstract

Concepts such as child-centred practice, children’s agency and active participation feature strongly within Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy. They have been shaped by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Thus children are increasingly recognised as being “able, willing and reliable contributors within their own significant social contexts of home and school” (Wyness, 2000, p. 2-23). What does this construction mean for children as they go about their daily life within ECCE settings? What does it mean for practitioners working with young children on a daily basis? What role do policy makers play in ensuring that the vision for children espoused in policy becomes a reality within practice? Drawing upon a doctoral study, this paper identifies multiple barriers to realising children’s’ agency in daily practice.