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school settings, has an equally important but different role than the school-based teacher.
The early childhood teacher, trained to work with children from birth to 6 within the
education system, is viewed as occupying one branch or specialization within the
teaching profession. Then there is a mixture of teachers working with children in the
early childhood age range within the education system, as well as various types of child
care workers employed in early childhood services in the welfare system. It is this last
option that produces multiple and interchangeable terms.
The final example is from the U.S. and illustrates that the origin of multiple
terminologies rests in the connection between the field and the welfare system. The
extent to which the system is split between welfare and education correlates, according to
Moss (2000), with levels of training and funding. Denmark, home to the pedagogue, has
a longer and higher level of training, substantial and sustained public funding, and a drive
to recruit males to the field. The result has been the achievement of increased public
recognition and status for the early childhood worker in that country. Rather than
reflecting a dichotomous situation, a more holistic approach is necessary for early
childhood care and education; one that would meet the need for children to be engaged in
stimulating early childhood education experiences and the need of families to have high
quality care for their children while they work. The field is moving toward strengthening
the connection between care and education; which term will come first remains an
unknown.
Current Status
Early childhood education is a sector of the workforce that is still without the
acceptance and recognition that it deserves given the importance of the work (Ogston,