San Miniato is a small town and comune (local authority) in the heart of Tuscany in Italy, with a population of just over 26,000, but it has big ideas for its youngest citizens.
Here, 40 per cent of children under the age of three attend a nido (nursery for children under three years old) or an 'integrated' service for children from birth up to the age of three. This figure rises to over 45 per cent when it includes the fact that some two-year-olds start nursery school before their third birthday. One hundred per cent of three- to five-year-olds receive early education in state-run nursery schools.
San Miniato's achievement reflects a considerable amount of dedication and financial commitment by such a small comune over the past 25 years. Its annual budget for services for children under three is some EUR2m out of a total budget of EUR18m. This covers about three-quarters of the total service costs; the remainder is met by charges to families, who are means-tested.
The development of the nidi stems from the tradition of participatory democracy in north-central Italy and when they opened in the 1970s, the original nidi were seen as contributing to the development of grassroots democracy through parental involvement in decision-making.
The main qualified group working in the nidi are known as educatori - a word intended to emphasise their educational as well as their caring role. Their role is similar to that of the pedagogues working in a variety of services in many other European countries, and everyone coming into the profession must now have a degree.
The competent child
There is no doubt that the central guiding concept is that of the child as a competent and active human being. It is an optimistic vision which contrasts starkly with a focus too often found in the UK on protecting children perceived as being in need or at risk.
This image is, in part, a legacy of Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994), first head of Reggio Emilia's internationally renowned early childhood centres. He worked closely with and was a major influence on Aldo Fortunati, a psychologist and leading figure in the development of San Miniato's services.
Describing his image of the child, Malaguzzi wrote, 'We have a highly optimistic vision of the child: a child who possesses many resources at birth, and with an extraordinary potential which has never ceased to amaze us; a child with the independent means to build up its own thought processes, ideas, questioning and attempts at answers; with a high level of ability in conversing with adults, the ability to observe things and to reconstruct from them in their entirety. This is a gifted child, for whom we need a gifted teacher.' (Children in Europe, 2004)
This positive image of the child extends to both parents and the educatori and has a very real impact on day-to-day practice in San Miniato. Parents are viewed as a positive resource and the educatori collaborate with them in a way that acknowledges them as people, rather than just their responsibilities to their child. They are encouraged to participate and to share experiences among themselves.
Likewise, the educatori are trusted to focus their energies and expertise on creating opportunities for children, without having a long-term planned programme. There is a very strong understanding that a child who is 'in charge' of their own learning is in no way predictable.
With this constructivist and child-centred educational philosophy, the role of the educatore is to provide the contexts for, rather than directly stimulate, the child's actions. They are expected to identify and expand children's behaviours and experiences, rather than leading them towards acquiring specific predefined skills. They are required to focus more on the process of supporting children's actions than on ticking boxes on a developmental scale.
The emphasis is on developing motivated and accomplished learners, rather than the acquisition of particular knowledge or skills. It is on how children learn, rather than on what they learn, and assisting children to learn better is the key objective.
When this is achieved, it is seen as opening up dialogue and the sharing and comparison of ideas, fostering children's natural abilities to explore, initiate and construct.
Physical environment
The physical environment of the nido is also striking, not so much visually but in the sense of the value that is attached to it and in people's understanding that it does not constitute a backdrop to learning but contributes to it.'
Children clearly feel cherished and safe in the nidi, but at the same time they are constantly stimulated into new experiences. The nursery is a place where possibilities are extended and greater understandings formed.
A nido is a place where children and educatori are both active participants who, together, share daily life, create relationships and experiences, and generate new understandings and new knowledge.
These are early years services that exemplify what a thoroughly constructivist and child-centred approach might look like in practice. In San Miniato, there is a consistency and single-mindedness in the implementation of the philosophy that is not always apparent elsewhere.
KEY AIMS OF SAN MINIATO'S NIDI
- Recognise children as competent protagonists - or active agents - in their own learning
- Work closely with parents and carers, family and community to ensure that these separate environments are complementary and not conflicting
- Enable children to use their own experiences to construct their understanding and learning
- Record in detail children's activities and relationships as a basis for reflecting on their roles in supporting the child and sharing with parents and carers
- Emphasise opportunities to support the child in their learning, rather than specific outcomes
- Organise and design space to support the child as protagonist and to promote sharing with parents and community
MORE INFORMATION
Young Children in Charge: A small Italian community with big ideas for children by Keir Bloomer and Bronwen Cohen is published this week by Children in Scotland (CIS), priced £11.99 for members of CIS, CiW, CiNi and NCB and £13.99 for non-members (ISBN 978-1-901589-83-2). To order a copy: tel: +44 (0)131 228 8484 fax: +44 (0)131 228 8585 e-mail: publications@childreninscotland.org.uk or order on line at www.childreninscotland.org.uk/publications.
