Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-systematic-re-envisioning-of-child-care-and-education-in-wales/5025786/
In October 2019, the first minister for Wales announced, “Wales will today embark on an exciting journey to create a single, high-quality, child-centred approach to early childhood education and care.” This statement of intent was warmly welcomed across the early years sector as one that promised improved opportunities for all children across Wales.
While it is widely recognised that experiences in early childhood have a significant impact on the lived experiences of children and their future lives, so much of what we offer them is segmented. We talk about care, education, play and emotional experiences as separate and often distinct aspects of a child’s life, yet our children’s experiences of life are blended, and bring with them a promise of enjoyment, learning, development, relationship building and so much more.
It is the “separateness” with which we view these experiences that the first minister was addressing in this announcement. He talked about lessons learned from well-established paths that offered improvement, but which, while successful, were not quite enough. He referred to strategies and approaches that in their separateness offered strength but lacked the glue that brought them together in an approach that captured the essence of human development and the best lived experience ...