On June 1, the Association of Canadian Deans of Education (ACDE) launched the Accord on Early Learning in Victoria, BC, as part of the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE). The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, a champion for early childhood development and the first female Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, spoke about of the importance of the Accord and was the first to sign her endorsement.
The Accord was developed under the leadership of Kimberly Franklin, Ed.D., Dean of Trinity Western University’s School of Education. Along with Deans James McNinch from the University of Regina and Ann Sherman from the University of New Brunswick, Franklin consulted with early learning educators and policy makers across Canada to develop the accord over the past three years.
This is the fifth Accord developed by the ACDE. Previous accords include the Accord on Initial Teacher Education (2005), the Accord for Indigenous Education (2009), and the Accord on Educational Research (2010).
It seeks to address the uneven provision of quality early learning experiences by highlighting practices that emphasize a unified approach to both learning and care for all children. It promotes improved, holistic, community-based education for preschool and early elementary children, and recognizes educator knowledge as vital to effective education for early learners and their families.
“I want the role of the family to remain central [to education],” said Franklin. “A move to standardized education has the potential of excluding the family and the community.” She stresses the vital importance of the early years and the importance of supporting parents as their child’s first teachers.
Policy makers and the public are becoming more aware of the importance of the early learning years in shaping the quality of children's lives both in school and beyond. While this recognition appears to be widespread, the quality and availability of early learning opportunities still vary considerably across Canada.
“It’s piecemeal in Canada,” said Franklin, who, before coming to TWU, was a teacher and administrator for 17 years in the K-12 system. “It is important that children from all backgrounds have equal access to quality care and learning.”
Globally, Australia and New Zealand have come out ahead with their focus on unified child-oriented programming for early learners. While Canada doesn’t have a national framework, the provinces have taken more of a lead.
Now, as policies are developed, the national Accord on Early Learning can inform the kinds of programs developed, such as Strong Start programs and the incorporation of pre-school into elementary schools. In addition, ACDE members are committed to the principles and goals addressed in the Accord, and will ensure these principles and goals become part of early learning education programs across Canada.