Tensions Between Discourses of Development, Religion, and Human Capital in Early Childhood Education Policy Texts: The Case of Indonesia

Abstract

In this paper we consider how particular discourses have come to dominate early childhood education (ECE) policy in Indonesia. We briefly explain the governance of Indonesian ECE and then our approach to policy analysis using critical discourse analysis. Three prevalent discourses are identified and discussed: ‘developmentalism’, ‘religious faith’ (specifically Islam) and ‘human capital’. We highlight the internal contradictions of each of these discourses and the ways in which they exist in tension with one another, arguing that these tensions both reflect and construct early childhood service provision, and the ways in which children, childhood and education in general are understood. We conclude by speculating on two aspects of ECE in Indonesia supported by the convergence of these discourses: private provision and an increasing ‘sharia-ization’ of services.