Early chjldhood education in Australia
Early childhood classrooms and settings in Australia cater
for children from ages six weeks to eight years and can
include public and private providers. Originating out of
philanthropy, early childhood education providers turned
their focus to the rights of the child (United Nations, 1959;
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
[UNICEF], 2013). They considered doctrines of social
transformation and critical pedagogy (MacNaughton, 2003)
in an effort to generate new and innovative ways to involve