International perspectives on workforce development in ECEC: history, philosophy and politics

Across the globe there is increased interest and investment in early childhood education and care. International governments (as well as supra national organisations) are increasingly recognising and valuing the role of early childhood education and care in supporting the holistic development of young children, while also acknowledging the role that early childhood education and care services have in supporting families to manage their work-life balance (particularly in relation to parental employment). Key to this interest is a growing recognition that it is not just early childhood education and care that is an important social investment tool, but quality early childhood education and care (Sylva et al, 2004; Lindeboom and Buiskool, 2013; Mathers and Smees, 2014). Quality is a complex term that will always be debated (Dahlberg et al, 2007; Penn, 2011), but here we are particularly interested in the role of the workforce in delivering quality early childhood education and care.