It is true that the needs of children are not taken care of in several childcare institutions. Childcare centers are simply concerned with making profits. This predisposes children to poor living conditions. Some scholars suggest that early childhood teachers should come up with new strategies that may improve the living conditions of children in childcare institutions. This would be possible if teachers evaluate the existing policies.
In 1837, a Kindergarten movement was established to fight for the rights of children because it was believed that children were weak, powerless, and incapable of making decisions on their own. Therefore, they relied on adults for decisions and help. However, the movement cannot hold in the 21st century because childcare has been commercialized, as well as commoditized. Childhood should be understood as a passive stage. This is because it is a stage where children receive knowledge and skills selected and offered to them by adults (Bloch, 1992).
In the modern world, children should be perceived as young adults. This means that children should be treated in the same way as mature individuals. Childhood should not be perceived as a special phase of growth and development because such view interferes with the rights of children. Moreover, adults should not be treated as people who hold a lot of power to an extent of influencing the life of the child negatively.
In early childhood education, children should be made to behave like grownups. They should be encouraged to replicate the behaviors of their seniors, such as teachers and staff members in the care giving institutions (Aitken, & Kennedy, 2007). Children should be instructed to spend long hours reading books and doing class work activities other than allowing them to play in the fields. Therefore, early childhood curriculum should be knowledge-based.
It should not be play-based because children might not master the specific skills needed for coping. In other words, children should be perceived as adults in training. Care giving centers should aim at ensuring that children are brought up to be responsible people in society. Subjecting children to poor living conditions might compromise their behavior.
References
Aitken, H., & Kennedy, A. (2007). Critical issues for the early childhood profession. Castle Hill: Pademelon Press.
Bloch, M. (1992). Critical perspectives on the historical relationship between child development and early childhood education research. New York: Teachers College Press.