Developing a Culture of Respecting Difference in Early Childhood Centers in Northern Ireland

Y

4

Conflict; Young Children; Foreign Countries; Child Care; Early Childhood Education; Educational Quality; Educational Environment; Political Issues; Curriculum Development; Cultural Pluralism; Student Diversity; Play; Mass Media Effects; Social Attitudes

1538-6619

The Northern Ireland Pre-School Playgroup Association, now known as NIPPA--the Early Years Organisation, was founded in 1965. The history of NIPPA has been strongly influenced by the sectarian conflict between the Republicans and the Loyalists. NIPPA is an umbrella organization that provides a range of support to its 1,200 member groups. This support includes training, pedagogical support, accreditation, information, and publications. NIPPA also acts as the Intermediary Funding Body for both the European Union and the U.K. government; over the past 10 years the organization has distributed approximately $100 million in funds to support the development of the capacity of the early childhood sector across Northern Ireland. NIPPA's primary objective is to develop and support high-quality community-managed early childhood services. A second important objective is to provide environments in which young parents and children from across religious, political, and class divides can come together in safe spaces for children to play, learn, and grow together. In 2001 new research, conducted by Professor Paul Connolly of Queens University in Belfast, provoked NIPPA to reconsider sectarianism's effects on young children. It contradicted the then-popular belief in Northern Ireland that three- to six-year-old children were not influenced by the conflict and sectarianism that surrounded them. NIPPA applied this research in developing the Respecting Difference curriculum to help children explicitly explore issues of difference within the Northern Irish context. The curriculum offers a range of techniques and resources to help teachers present the issue of difference--whether physical, racial, sectarian, or ethnic--in a meaningful and authentic manner. NIPPA and Peace Initiatives Institute (Pii) partnered to create the Media Initiative for Children--Northern Ireland.

ERIC

1

2008

EJ784104