An article by Clair James about the role of Froebelian educators in early childhood education systems today
Clair James recently completed a dissertation at University of Winchester, looking at the Froebelian concept of unity. In this article Clair shares a sustainable vision for the future of children and the educators working in the early years sector.
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Having worked in a kindergarten for almost twenty years, my research is both heartfelt and embedded within my educator worldview.
I feel it is time to create a remedy to the fragmented nature of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in England, to be radically inclusive of all and to allow ‘us’ to reclaim our power as educators.
Froebel is considered to be the father of the Kindergarten movement and in 1849 started the first college to train women to become Kindergarten teachers.
"We must cultivate women, who are the educators of the human race, else the new generation cannot accomplish its task."
Friedrich Froebel
Today, in a female dominated early childhood education sector, we need a regeneration of trust in educators as Froebel’s professional ‘mother figures’. Although a problematic term for some, if we consider ‘mothering’ to be a flavour of love; in the spirit of feminist reclamation, we can reclaim that term for today. It’s what we educators do - we love, we nurture and we create valuable, supportive relationships with families (so essential to the young child). We mother.
"Froebel believed that everything in the universe is connected. The more one is aware of this unity, the deeper the understanding of oneself, others, nature and the wider world."
Helen Tovey, Froebel's Principles and Practice Today
As trusted educators in a Froebelian setting, we can re-engage today with Froebel’s concept of unity. Children are not separate from the world or separate from their areas of learning. Children in our care bloom, yet in a way that is expected for them.
In England, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requires educators to note whether children are meeting expected levels of development, or if they are not yet reaching expected levels (“emerging”). Children can’t exceed EYFS expectations anymore.
We could go one step further. I suggest that if all children are ‘expected’ at the end of their unique experience of the EYFS, we are participating not in Froebel’s beautiful and bio-diverse kinder-garden, but in a monoculture.
It was forest ecologist Suzanne Simard’s research that recently confirmed the existence of the ‘mother tree’ - connected to all the trees in the forest through an underground network of reciprocal signals that are supported by fungi. The mother tree forewarns younger members of the forest, she supplies water in drought years and physical protection through her roots. She can be likened to the Froebelian educator of today. Gently administering her remedies and her emotional labour.
Surrounding today’s child, we have interconnections of all kinds of relationships and experiences. The kindergarten is no longer a 19th century middle class garden, and it shouldn’t be allowed to become cultivated into an EYFS monoculture - such a ‘cash crop’ is not good for the planet, the child or the educator. The early childhood education and care sector - its children and its educators - is naturally, radically diverse. The kindergarten today can be liked to a forest, a Kinderforst.
As Froebel created pathways wide enough for two to walk hand in hand, we must prepare a path into the Kinderforst. We can do this together, by:
- truly acknowledging the importance of all the interconnections between our homes and our settings
- taking time to create transparent and trusting relations with all
- appreciating each child and each educator as the unique being they are
- striving to administer the mothering required within our framework, with gentle kindness.
So, don’t get caught up with the combine harvester of the EYFS, stay in the cool of the Kinderforst with the children, and continue to love and learn together.
About the author
Clair James is now working towards a PhD at The University of Winchester.
Her dissertation 'A Call to Rewild Froebel’s Kindergarten' was awarded the Education Studies Dissertation prize for 2022. Download Clair James' dissertation.
