ニュージーランドにおけるプレイセンター運動の展開 : 理論と保育内容を中心に

Playcentres are the third largest type of provider of early childhood education in New Zealand. Eleven percent (17,596) of all children enrolled in early childhood services. Playcentres, therefore, continue to be a significant provider of one of a diverse range of early childhood services for New Zealand pre-school children. Within this diverse early childhood sector, playcentres have special attributes - in particular they are managed and staffed by parents. The playcentre movement sees its role as being two-fold-to provide an effective education programme for young children and to provide the means through which parents can participate in their children's education and, in doing so, gain a more thorough understanding of child development and their role as parents. Through its investment in early childhood education the Government aims to provide a sound foundation in children's early years for future learning and achievement. It also expects that there will be benefits to society as a whole from this investment - in terms of education, the labour market, welfare and language and culture. This report concludes that playcentres contribute in particular to playcentre philosophy in concern with play for the children. Young children attending playcentres are provided with a programme of education based on child-initiated play as the basis for learning. Training initiatives promoted by the playcentre movement foster a high level of direct parental involvement in playcentres, playcentre associations and the New Zealand Playcentre Federation. The playcentre movement emphasises parental involvement to a degree that most other early childhood providers do not. However, because of the trend towards women re-entering the paid workforce fewer parents may be able to commit themselves to becoming directly involved in the early childhood education of their children. In addition, the sessional nature of playcentres presents further issues in terms of childcare for parents in full time employment.