There has been little explication of how university lecturers who are responsible for educating future practitioners approach the complexity and conceptual messiness of 'voice'. There are dangers of objectification if curricula simply foreground the UNCRC and are only concerned with utterances and the need to listen to children. This paper…

Pre-school education, which ordinarily is supposed to be the foundation stone of our education system, is wholly left in the hands of private operators to manage with no supervisory authority over them, a situation that has led to poor standards and quality. It was emphasised that if pre-school education is to serve its stated purposes of making…

The aim of this article is to highlight the concept "quality" with a special focus on preschool teachers' understanding and compare what preschool teachers in Austria, Bulgaria and Sweden regard as quality. Although quality is at high degree a subjective concept, some aspects are regarded decisive for good quality. A questionnaire was…

Objective: Rapid physical and mental development in childhood also brings about a high risk of being injured. Since children spend a large amount of their time in kindergarten, there is a possibility that they would be injured while there. Design: A questionnaire for professionals was sent to a Slovenian kindergarten. Setting: The aim of this…

The importance of safeguarding children from violence is internationally recognised. However, detecting, intervening and protecting children from abuse both within the family and in institutions is complex. This paper specifically focuses on safeguarding in England and how workforce reform in the early years offers the opportunity to forge new…

Over the recent years there has been a shift in the field of early childhood research to involving young children in the research process. A vast body of literature [Evans, P., & Fuller, M. (1996). Hello. Who am I speaking to? Communicating with pre-school children in educational research settings. "Early Years," 17(1), 17-20; Clark,…

From consideration of children's rights in general and equal opportunities for disabled children in particular, it is important to consult children about barriers and supports to learning and participation. Finding appropriate and feasible ways, however, to incorporate this into educational programmes for younger children can present challenges.…

Discusses attitudinal barriers to the implication of Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which urges states to protect children from abuse. Explores theories explaining why child abuse occurs. Suggests how and why early childhood educators can contribute to the promotion of a nonabusive society. (AC)