Early childhood pedagogy, human values and the social contract

This paper examines the role early childhood education has as an institution that potentially provides for children from differing cultural and language backgrounds and instils respect and tolerance for difference. The particular focus is an emphasis in the Australian early childhood national curriculum that presents a strengthened importance on First Nation Australians. As a country Australia has had a history of racism since European occupation. This attitude has had a detrimental impact on First Australians and many migrants. The context of the paper is the recent national referendum where the Australian populace denied a voice to parliament for Indigenous Australians. In this paper we explore initiatives introduced to support the idea of reconciliation by introducing Aboriginal perspectives into the early childhood curriculum. The research is project-based and we examine the role of early education in supporting long-term equity and social justice in a country that still suffers from a colonial/settler outlook.