Saturday 31 July, 2010

 

 

An interview with Sue Dockett and Bob Perry

Please tell us about your present position and what was your motivation to train as an Early Childhood Educator?

Sue: Professor of Early Childhood Education, Murray School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury. My position is mainly involved in research, workforce planning in early childhood and teaching of research students. I am also the Associate Dean of Early Childhood within the Faculty of Education. Currently, my main areas of research and publication include educational transitions, staying on at high school, researching with children, learning and assessment in higher education, play in early childhood, and early childhood mathematics education.

Bob: Professor of Education, Murray School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury. My position is mainly involved with the development of the research ethos in the Faculty of Education, both through my own work and through the nurturing of other, less-experienced researchers. Currently, my main areas of research and publication include early childhood mathematics education, educational transitions, staying on at high school, education of Indigenous students, mathematics and educational transitions as agents of social justice, professional development of early childhood educators, and curriculum development and evaluation.

What is your current passion in relation to Early Childhood Education?

Sue: My current passions revolve around recognition and celebration of the rights of children and of the capabilities of children. I have written extensively around ethical issues in researching with children and some of the unintended consequences of involving children in research. Transition to school continues to be a passion for me. It is great to see our work used in many states of Australia as the basis of both systemic and local transition programs. There is still a long way to go in some places but progress is being made. Notions of transition generally interest me, and there is much evidence to suggest that the same things are important across many educational transitions, be they the transition to school, from primary to secondary school or on to university.

Bob: I am passionate about the ways in which non-Indigenous people have created inequities for Indigenous people and then praised any attempt to 'bridge the gap'. Indigenous knowledge needs to be recognised and celebrated. While traditional school knowledge is important for all learners in order for them to function in the mainstream society, recognition and celebration of the knowledge and skills that all children bring to school is desperately needed.

Where do you see yourself in five year’s time?

Sue: In five years time, I shall still be actively engaged in early childhood education research. Hopefully, we will have made real progress in translating some of our research into practice and life will be just that much better for children, families, educators and communities.

Bob: Retired, hopefully growing great vegetables and enjoying doing only those projects that really interest me.

What is your hope for the future of Early Childhood Education and where do you see Early Childhood Services in 10 year’s time?

Sue: I hope early childhood education and early childhood services into the future re-emphasise their focus on the wellbeing of children, families and communities. The role of early childhood educators is changing rapidly and the skills and expertise educators will need to lead early childhood services will no doubt have changed.

Bob: The stranglehold of politicians and bureaucrats over early childhood education will be gone and dedicated, skilled and talented early childhood educators will have helped children to re-establish themselves as children. We are currently in real danger of robbing our children of their childhood and we need to work really hard, against difficult odds, to resist this trend.

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