Education & Care

This report summarizes the analysis of major issues affecting the status of teaching personnel worldwide at all levels of education by the 12th Session of the Joint ILO–UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel (the Joint Committee), held in Paris on 20–24 April 2015. Composed of independent education experts from around the world, the 12th Session of the Joint Committee examined a number of urgent issues affecting teaching personnel, including quality teaching in higher education, professionalization of early childhood education personnel, changing employment relationships in teaching, the impact of digital technologies, and social dialogue. The Joint Committee also examined a number of allegations from teacher unions regarding the application of the Recommendations. The report of this session contains recommendations to the Governing Body of the ILO and to the Executive Board of UNESCO, and through them to governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations of their member States, on how to improve the condition of the teaching profession within their respective mandates, using the two Recommendations as guidelines. The recommendations of the Joint Committee are nonbinding, being intended to guide the actions of national authorities, employers’ and workers’ organizations and other education stakeholders.

ILO and UNESCO

2015

Preparing Teachers for Early Childhood Care and Education brings forward several issues on teacher preparation which are not only significant in current contexts, but also for the future. The study provides data on the following emerging issues:

• Availability and coverage of teacher education institutions
• Regulation of quality of teacher education in early childhood care and education
• Curriculum and transaction methods employed for teacher education
• Open and distance education

The report provides a wide range of recommendations in order to address the above issues. Recommendations evolve around the following topics: 1) duration of the course; 2) ensuring equitable access with quality; 3) strengthening regulation of standards; 4) improve practice teaching; 5) involving teacher educators; 6) upgrading the curriculum; and 7) maximizing the potential of open and distance education.

CECED

2011

This report discusses the importance of supporting the early learning workforce – nearly a totality of whom are women – not only to improve the quality of early learning programs, but also to ensure fair pay so that they can support their own families. The report discusses how high-quality early learning matters for healthy child development and how the wage gap undermines children’s outcomes. It presents data on workforce earnings across states, as well as relevant state demographics and the recent federal efforts to support the early childhood workforce.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Education

2016

This literature review of national and international surveys of early childhood care and education (ECCE) provision and the teaching workforce was commissioned by UNESCO to inform the development of survey instrument and methodology for the Survey of Teachers in Pre-Primary Education (STEPP) project (May 2015–December 2017). The key tasks set by UNESCO were to:

1. Provide an analysis of the purpose, scope, content, target population/ institution, sampling procedure and sample size of relevant international and national surveys, including the kinds of constructs and indicators/variables included;
2. Identify lessons from the implementation of relevant international and national surveys, from which the project can learn;
3. Provide recommendations to the Project

The main purpose of the surveys was to make visible information about the teacher workforce in order to analyse and compare policy, to highlight issues that might be supported by policy and practice and to make plans within countries to enhance the teacher workforce. Survey information can also generate theoretical understanding by enabling relationships between variables to be examined.
The report presents lessons learnt from the implementation of the surveys as well as recommendations for future research.

There is a broad consensus among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers that the quality of early childhood services – and ultimately the outcomes for children and families – depends on well-educated, experienced and ‘competent’ staff. But what exactly makes a competent early childhood practitioner? How can competence be understood, and its development supported, in the highly complex and demanding field of working professionally with young children, families and communities? What approaches do different countries take, and what lessons can be learnt from practices developed by practitioners, training institutions and policymakers across Europe? This report presents the findings of a European research project jointly conducted by the University of East London (UEL) and the University of Ghent (UGent). The ‘study on competence requirements in early childhood education and care’ (CoRe) explored conceptualisations of ‘competence’ and professionalism in early childhood practice, and identified systemic conditions for developing, supporting and maintaining competence in all layers of the early childhood system. In the light of the research findings, and intensive consultation with key stakeholders in ECEC in Europe, CoRe has developed policy recommendations, which are also part of this report.

The aim of CoRe is to provide policy-relevant information, advice and case studies with regard to the competences required for the ECEC workforce and how to support competence development from a systemic perspective. In order to achieve its aims, CoRe has conducted original research, reviewed previous work and international literature, and consulted with experts in the field over a period of 15 months. In this report, we present the findings of the different but interrelated strands of this process which underpin the policy recommendations regarding systemic competence development and professionalisation in early childhood education and care in Europe. By providing informed views on the questions at stake we hope to initiate discussion, to provoke new thinking, and to encourage new questions.

This background paper highlights the importance of early childhood development and presents ECE data on demand, enrolments and national policies. It also discusses the important role of pre-primary/early childhood education and the complexities of the teaching profession. Special emphasis is given into the professionalization of the field and examples in the following fields: 1) the roles and responsibilities of government bodies, employer organizations, trade unions and civil society groups; 2) ECE content: Curricula and teaching methods; 3) ECE financing; 4) Preparation for the profession; 5) Recruitment, deployment and retention; 6) Professional and career development; 7) Employment terms and conditions; 8) Learning and teaching conditions; 9) Evaluating ECE personnel; and 10) ECE governance and social dialogue.

Drawing on the analysis of those factors, a variety of recommendations in line with the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, as well as the ILO guidelines, have been suggested, which should be put in place by governments and other providers of early childhood education to enhance the professionalization of – and improve the working conditions of – ECE personnel.

The focus of this report is on the impact of the working conditions and continuous professional development (CPD) of the workforce in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) on the quality of the services provided and, in particular, on the outcomes for children. The report reviews research evidence from all 28 EU Member States, including both English and non-English language studies. The aim is to identify how the training and development of ECEC workers who operate in a range of settings might be tailored to most effectively improve the quality of the care and education services available for children below primary-school age in EU Member States. The review establishes what are known to be, on the basis of available research evidence, the links between CPD interventions, working conditions and outcomes for children. In so doing, it aims to inform policymakers’ decisions on effective strategies for sustaining the quality of ECEC through investment in its workforce. The evidence points to critical factors in CPD intervention.

The Early Learning and Childcare workforce (ELC) and Out of School Care (OSC) workforce have long been recognised as diverse and disparate. Within such diverse provision there are major differences in work environments, qualifications, recruitment, retention and staff progression routes.

This Review is informed by:

• Evidence gathered during focus groups and discussions with practitioners and key stakeholder institutions and bodies
• Visits made to schools and ELC and OSC settings
• Information gathered though two online consultations
• Meetings with the Early Years Division and other Government officials
• Consultation with the Core Reference Group of stakeholders

In addition, it has considered, and built upon, previous research, developments and policies both within and beyond Scotland. These provide an evidence base against which comparisons have been made of current Scottish processes and practices related to the workforces.

The purpose of this Review is to identify and make recommendations on how the skills, qualifications and training of staff working within the early learning and childcare and out of school care sectors, from birth to age 14, can contribute to improved outcomes for children, help to reduce social inequality and close the attainment gap, based on the evidence gathered in the course of the Review and wider research evidence.

This Review’s proposals are radical and wide-ranging. They are inter-related and should be seen as an integrated set – and not separately. They build on the many existing strengths of the ELC and OSC
sector within Scotland. They aim to support both a vision for the future and a coherent and manageable means for realising that vision.

This user friendly tool: i) addresses in detail the definition of a quality service, ii) provides a menu of available tools for the measurement of the quality of child care centers serving infants and toddlers ages 0 to 3 years (36 months), and iii) reports on the implementation process of these instruments in the region. The Toolkit presents a theoretical description of the tools and a guide explaining where, how, and when to use each tool, based on a detailed approach with different dimensions to consider in order for the quality measurement to be successful. This toolkit is designed to be a resource for researchers and technical staff of any discipline, working for governments and institutions interested in measuring and monitoring the quality of child care centers serving infants and toddlers ages 0 to 3 years aims to assist them in translating the discussion on improving child care quality into concrete actions and results.

Workforce Development Framework (WDF) aims to support states and early childhood programs by providing recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for developing and implementing career pathways to support the professional learning and practice of early childhood educators and program directors.

This statement aims to:

• Raise awareness about the need for career pathways that support and develop the specialized competences and skills of early childhood educators and early childhood program directors;
• Highlight the importance of building a progression of professional development and educational opportunities for the early childhood workforce, making it understandable to all stakeholders as a key strategy to expand high-quality early childhood education for all children from birth;
• Provide recommendations for state agencies to create the policies and resources to provide a career advancement pathway with the meaningful supports needed for individuals in the early care and education field;
• Provide recommendations for early childhood program leaders to support staff and take advantage of professional advancement opportunities; and
• Identify related resources to support states and local programs.