Canada In most provinces, the early childhood education and care sector was closed. The Standard Economic Health and Safety at Work Commission recommended physical distancing, enhanced hygiene practices and masks for teachers and educators. In provinces where the sector had reopened, there were concerns over lack of personal protection equipment for teachers. At the time of the webinar, centres were operating with a reduced number of employees and teachers and educators were experiencing financial difficulty as a result. Denmark Early childhood centres were closed for several weeks. Government and the union discussed reopening centres safely after ongoing advocacy from the union. Upon reopening, centres employed additional staff, reduced group sizes, introduced restrictions regarding parents entering the centre, and enhanced hygiene measures, including additional cleaning and hand washing. Positive outcomes included more employees dedicated to working with disadvantaged and vulnerable children. Chile Infection rates were high as the Chilean Government failed to heed World Health Organization guidelines. The early childhood education and care sector is highly privatised, leading to inequity of access, particularly for disadvantaged families. The government imposed eLearning on all sectors of education, which disproportionately affected children living in poverty without reliable access to the internet.
More countries In Italy, Kosovo, Bahrain, Kurdistan, Benin, Gambia and Nigeria concerns included lack of access to devices and the internet, and teachers experiencing financial hardship as their workplaces closed for an extended period with limited or no government support available.
“We continue to engage with our governments to make sure the interests of our members and children are taken into account when they come out with policies on COVID-19.”
On reflection Did the Australian Government do enough early enough? Did it provide adequate guidance to safeguard the health and safety of children, teachers and educators, particularly those with pre-existing conditions? Did it provide cleaning materials such as soap, hand sanitiser and disinfectant? Or was it just really fortunate that Australia’s geographical isolation and small population prevented an uncontrolled spread of the virus? Australia will be dealing with the coronavirus fallout for a long time to come. Will the preschool sector remain viable when fee relief finishes at the end of Term 4? According to the Mitchell Institute, about 1.6 million
Australians lost their jobs in the first week of April. The number of children in families experiencing employment stress has risen dramatically. Will families with reduced work hours require the same number of early childhood education and care hours as the economy recovers? Can these families still afford to pay fees? What will happen in 2021 when Activity Test requirements for early learning centres are reinstated? Unions play a crucial role in assisting members to navigate this unprecedented situation. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious negative impact on countries, communities, and education systems around the world and the ECE sector,” EI President Susan Hopgood said. “Education International and all our member organisations, the unions and educators, have and continue to respond to this challenge. “We continue to engage with our governments, with the authorities, to make sure the interests of our members and children are taken into account when they come out with policies on COVID-19. We should continue to speak up, to push our governments, to push the United Nations and intergovernmental organisations and education institutions to ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of children and early childhood personnel and for a full recovery of this important sector when the crisis is over.” References The Mitchell Institute, Victoria University, COVID-19, employment stress and student vulnerability in Australia: bit.ly/32rHyGG Download the Education International webinar report: bit.ly/2EB7fwy Bedrock | issue 3 | Vol 25 | 2020 | 21
