Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be able to identify the political and economic factors which gave rise to the National Training Reform Agenda; discuss the implications of that agenda for the staffing and curriculum of early childhood services; evaluate current early childhood practice in terms of the construction of gender, racism and prejudice; demonstrate understanding of ethical and legal issues pertinent to the early childhood educator.
Synopsis An in-depth examination of a range of issues currently confronting the early childhood educator within preschool and junior primary settings. Issues to be considered include the National Training Reform agenda and its challenge to developmental-based early childhood curricula; determinants of racism and prejudice - the development of culturally democratic early childhood settings; early childhood settings and the construction of gender; ethics and the law - some particular early childhood dilemmas.
Assessment Seminar: 40% + Examination: 60%