Children’s Rights in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Children’s rights in early childhood education have provided a new and different lens for how we view and treat young children. Rights are entitlements that every human being has, that are considered essential for their optimal development (Veerman 1992, cited under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [UNCRC]). That children are human beings with rights has become recognized since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (cited under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [UNCRC]) in 1989. When children’s rights are realized, they are provided with a better quality of life, opportunities for healthy development, and fulfillment of their potential. Children’s rights thinking is transformative, changing the power relations between children, adults, and the state; this is so that children are seen as active subjects rather than the objects of socialization or the chattels of their parents (Tobin 2011, cited under Theoretical Foundations). The UNCRC defines a child as a human being below the age of eighteen. Definitions of early childhood vary in different countries according to the organization of preschool and elementary school systems, but early childhood education is defined here as any center, school, or home-based program catering for the education and care of children up to the age of eight. It is impossible to separate care and education for young children, since caring relationships are an essential influence on children’s learning, so early childhood education includes childcare centers, nursery schools and classes, kindergartens, parent co-operative programs, language immersion centers, Headstart classes, Montessori or Steiner programs, family daycare schemes, and beginning school classrooms. Implementing children’s rights for infants and young children is particularly important since during these early years, children are most vulnerable to rights violations, and they are most able to benefit from their rights being catered for. For example, there is substantial evidence to suggest that children in disadvantaged circumstances achieve much better social and educational outcomes if they have participated in high-quality early childhood education programs (Smith 2015, cited under Early Childhood Policy in a Global Context). This bibliography demonstrates the relevance of the UNCRC for early childhood education, shows the theoretical basis of rights thinking, and focuses on five key areas of children’s rights—education, nondiscrimination, language/culture, participation and curriculum/pedagogy. Finally, it shows how children’s rights have been applied to global early childhood policies and to designing research that is respectful of children’s rights.