The Public Good. Historical and Political Roots of Municipal Preschools in Emilia Romagna

Abstract

According to the findings of a recent European study on competence requirement for the early childhood education and care workforce, competent systems that succeed in achieving high levels of professionalism are embedded in coherent public policies that build on consultation with key stakeholders, particularly at local level. In order to flourish, the professional competence of early childhood practitioners needs to be cultivated not only within the institutions they are working for, but also within a constant democratic dialogue that involves children, parents and local communities. A vision of ECEC as a public good therefore becomes an essential precondition for sustaining the development of high quality services for young children and their families. Given the wide range of interconnected socio‐economic, educational and rights‐based rationales that currently underpin the investment in the expansion of early childhood provision in many European countries, a further elaboration of these findings may offer interesting insights on the purposes of early childhood education and the nature of political commitment serving such purposes. In this article, these issues are discussed by drawing on the analysis of the origin and development of municipal preschool education in the Emilia Romagna region (Italy). Starting from the investigation of the historical and socio‐cultural conditions that gave birth to early childhood municipal institutions, the trends characterising ECEC policy‐making developments over time are analysed with reference to the experiences of grassroot politics elaborated at regional and local level. Through a careful contextualisation of social and political processes and an in‐depth analysis of relevant documentary sources, the conceptual categories underpinning the construction of early childhood education as a public good are outlined and described.

Evaluation of the Reggio Approach to Early Education

“…Comparisons with the age-50 cohort that preceded the Reggio Approach give additional insight ( A possible explanation for the negative eect on IQ score is that the Reggio Approach does not explicitly teach predetermined skills, which may be important for cognitive assessments (Cagliari et al, 2016). A possible explanation for the positive eect of the Reggio Approach on voting behavior is that the Reggio Approach values children's democratic participation in the lives of their communities (Lazzari, 2012).…”

“…Together, survey results and administrative data indicate that central features of preschool programs were available to each cohort in each of the various systems listed in Table 1. 1957-1965Adults 40s 1972-1976Adults 30s 1983-1987Adolescents 1997-2000Children 2009-2012 Note: This table indicates the provision by system of educational preschool systems (dened as programs with 4 or more sites) available in each city during the years each cohort was eligible to attend a 3-6 year old program.…”

Evaluation of the Reggio approach to early education

“…Malaguzzi was also inspired by Bruno Ciari, who implemented Dewey’s model in Bologna. Together, Ciari and Malaguzzi are credited with inciting a “municipal school revolution” in Italy by emphasizing learning, democratic participation, and social activism in early childhood, as an alternative to the welfare model and religious programming then offered by the Catholic Church [7, 5].…”

Reflections in the Mirror of Reggio Emilia’s Soul: John Dewey’s Foundational Influence on Pedagogy in the Italian Educational Project

“…It emerged from the political battle between left-wing communists and socialists on one side, and the fascist regime on the other (Hall, et al, 2010). Workers, educators and particularly women's groups advocated for social policy reforms, including improved access to early education and care (Lazzari, 2012). Oppressed community members inspirationally sought to reform society through the provision of early childhood services (Cadwell, 2003;Gandini, 2011).…”

“…Dewey's democratic ideals attained significant reception in post-war Italy, particularly in areas of northern Italy known for a strong history of anti-fascist resistance (Burza, 2009;Lazzari, 2012).…”