For early childhood educators to challenge discrimination and promote diversity, they must first ensure that they develop a greater understanding of significant issues in relation to gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class and disability, and begin to understand the impact that discrimination can have on the life chances of young children.
They must become aware of the way discrimination operates in today's society and have access to successful models of practice. They must familiarise themselves with relevant legislation, curriculum frameworks and official guidance. Most importantly, they must also consider their own personal identities and experience of diversity.
All this will be difficult to achieve, particularly if legislation, official guidance and inspection are the sole motivating factors. Effective training and support will be necessary to promote understanding and inform the sector about new developments, influential research, successful models of practice and how to address the practicalities including the development and implementation of effective policies at a local level.
Most practitioners are anxious to do their best for the children in their care, but they may lack both understanding and the strategies that need to underpin the harmonious and caring ethos described in Focus for Standard 9 in the Guidance to the National Standards (see box).
There is also a danger that some groups that do not contain children from a mixture of minority ethnic groups or have a wide range of ability may not see anti-discriminatory practice as a priority or consider it relevant to them. Here we will examine those issues to promote understanding about what these developments really mean for children, staff, families and the wider community.
WHAT THE RULES SAY
Equal opportunities has always been given prominence in the early years sector, but the new national standards regulating childcare providers represent a significant strengthening of current regulation. The onus is now on settings to be pro-active in devising strategies and policies that promote equality and to work actively with staff, parents and children to encourage a positive attitude towards 'difference'.
Standard 9 of the National Standards for under-eights daycare and childminding now has the headline requirement that: 'The registered person and staff actively promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children'. That is elaborated upon in the Guidance to the National Standards under Focus for Standard 9 (see box).
This Standard and the guidance build on work carried out over at least the past 15 years in which the early years voluntary and statutory sectors have struggled to develop and deliver effective 'awareness' and 'equality' training on disability, gender and race.
The Children Act 1989 consolidated and encouraged this with the requirement that all daycare and childminding services are registered to meet the minimum standards. It says, 'People working with young children should value and respect the different racial origins, religions, cultures and languages in a multiracial society so that each child is valued as an individual without racial or gender stereotyping. Children from a very young age learn about different races and cultures, including religion and languages, and will be capable of assigning different values to them' (para 6.10 Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations, Vol 2: Family Support, Day Care and Educational Provision for Young Children).
It also states that, 'A fit person is one who has knowledge of an attitude to multicultural issues and people of different racial origins; and a commitment to treat all children as individuals with equal concern' (para 7.32).
More recently the Government has declared itself firmly behind a social inclusion agenda, and from January 2002 there will be a new Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The code will coincide with the application of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act to services offered by all education providers, a move which will have far-reaching consequences for the inclusion of disabled children and those with other forms of SEN in mainstream education.
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 requires public authorities to ensure that practices and policies promote good relations and do not disadvantage any racial group.
Alongside other measures such as the special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCO) infrastructure, and their mandatory training days, these developments are the manifestation of a new resolve on the part of Government to put into place the building blocks of a more equitable early years sector.
In addition, November 2001 saw the publication of an Equal Opportunities Commission study, 'The Development of Gender Roles in Young Children', which draws attention to the 'feminised culture' of early years settings, the under-representation of men in those settings and the need to be aware of the messages that are being conveyed to children in 'day-to-day routines, experiences and practices'.
FOCUS FOR STANDARD 9
'Children need to feel valued and be free from discrimination. Where the registered person and staff are committed to equality they recognise that children's attitudes towards others are established in the early years. They understand relevant legislation and plan to help children learn about equality and justice through their play. The provision is carefully organised and monitored to ensure that all staff and children have access to the full range of activities. Family members and staff work together and share information, for example, about cultures, home languages, play activities and children's specific needs.'
Full Day Care: Guidance to the National Standards, page 40.
