The Early Childhood Education Articulation Committee recently sent the following letter and position paper to Premier Campbell, Minister Linda Reid, Minister Shirley Bond and Minister Stan Hagan, and Opposition Leader Carole James.

Hello Honourable Premier Campbell,

Re: Ministry designations: Ministry of State for Early Childhood Development and Ministry of State for Child Care

As instructors in Early Childhood Education from colleges and universities throughout the Province of British Columbia, we strongly urge you to reconsider the latest Cabinet assignments within the realm of early childhood responsibility. By creating cabinet posts that differentiate between early childhood development and childcare the government is contributing to what is becoming the public misperception that issues of early childhood development are somehow uniquely different from issues of childcare. We must warn you that such a misperception will not contribute to the healthy early development of all of British Columbia’s very young children! It will do the opposite by fragmenting funding, falsely differentiating early literacy programs from childcare and creating a dangerous stratification in the delivery of all programs of care and education for young children.

We have attached a position paper endorsed by more than 35 public and private training programs in early childhood education in British Columbia. It clearly identifies well known research principles that have guided our practice over the past fifty years and takes us to the place we are moving toward today – a place where all programs that care and educate young children will be of the highest quality, accessible and better supported financially by public dollars. It shares a vision that these programs be regarded and supported under one philosophical and fiscal structure.

Please take the time to read this paper and learn about the fine history of our field. It is a history filled with renowned researchers, hard working early childhood educators, an inclusive philosophy and extraordinary professionalism. We ask that you trust the work of the past, pay attention to our message that all programs of care and education of children fall under the same auspice, and create a more integrated ministerial approach to matters of early development.

Early Childhood Education Articulation Committee (alphabetical order by institution)
Kathy Gardener, Burnaby College, Early Childhood Education Program
Linda Leone, Camosun College Early Childhood Education Program
Jen Moses, Capilano College Early Childhood Education Programs
Kathy Price, Century College Early Childhood Education Program
Debbie MacNeil, College of New Caladonia Early Childhood Education Programs
Ildi Walkley, College of the Rockies Early Childhood Education Programs
Gwen Reese. Columbia Bible College Early Childhood Education Program
Phyllis McBeth, Delta Continuing Education
Carol Howorth, Douglas College Early Childhood Education Programs
Caroline Loughran, Montessori Training Centre
Susan Young, Langara College Early Childhood Education Programs
Sharon Crowley, Langley College Early Childhood Education Programs
Beverly Revin, Malaspina University College Early Childhood Education Programs
Beverly Reid, MTI College Early Childhood Education Program
Nedra McKay, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
Marion Pickton, North Island Early Childhood Education Programs (Chair, ECE Articulation Committee)
Pat Mullar, North Shore Continuing Education
Kathy Handley, Northern Lights Early Childhood Development Programs
Joan Turecki, Northwest Community College Early Childhood Education Programs
Northwest Community College Early Childhood Education Programs
Barb Duffy, Okanagan University College Early Childhood Education Programs
Heather Kay and Jeanne Faith, Pacific Rim Early Childhood Institute
Gail Pirie, Ridge meadows College Early Childhood Education Programs
Toni Hoyland, Selkirk College Early Childhood Education Programs
Kathryn Mc Naughton, Thompson Rivers University, Faculty of Education
Gyda Chud, Vancouver Community College Early Childhood Education Programs
Leah Drayton, Vancouver Career College, Early Childhood Education Programs
Hillel Goelman, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Education
Helen MacDonald-Carlson, University College of the Caribou
Lou Schroeder, University College of Fraser Valley Early Childhood Education Program
Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw, School of Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria
Margie Mayfield, University of Victoria, Faculty of Education

Download the Position Paper (PDF) – “Take Back the Language: Appreciating the Culture of Early Childhood Education”