Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

The communication with my contact in Australia was labored this week. She had a very busy week with her classes and home life so it was more difficult to establish the back and forth contact we have been having.  I asked her what are some of the issues in quality they face as professionals. Her response was, “There is no consistency for parents. We have what I consider a high quality program. There are some down the street that are not up to par. They are mostly government funded because they are the workers child cares. The owners of the diamond mines fund the child care I work for for their children and the children that are the managers of the mine.” She did describe how the education was not different between the two facilities. What were different, were the materials for children to play with, the environment, and the size of the environment. 

Some of her professional goals were to become the “head master” of the child care (I am assuming that is like director or principal), to go back to college, and to make more money.

When I asked her what her dreams were for the early childhood profession she states, “I dream that all children across the world would receive great early care when they are wee ones. That they would all learn and be in environments that help them to learn. I dream that things were more fare and not based on status and titles of the family.”

I am always surprised at the information I glean from our conversations. I know the country has wonderful healthcare and welfare (DOL) system, so I never thought their early learning programs would have similar issues as we have.