King Solomon and the baby: Children’s health in early childhood education

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Abstract

In the Hebrew story, King Solomon was asked to decide which of two “harlots” was the mother of an infant. His proposal to divide the baby between them revealed who could recognise the child’s best interests. This ancient story has resonance for early childhood education, for although our curriculum holds the wellbeing of children at its core, the wisdom of Solomon is needed to navigate the inconvenient truth that early childhood education can be detrimental to the health of young children.

Explores some of the recent research regarding the recommendations in the 2012 Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) report, 'Through Their Lens', and their implications for good governance of the lives of children aged 0-3 years. Contends that interdisciplinary dialogue, research, and training should be undertaken at government, academic, community, teacher, and parent level, to promote health and wellbeing of children, and that those who qualify as early childhood teachers need to have more than basic knowledge of health conditions that affect children in their care.

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Citation
Bates, S. (2016). King Solomon and the baby: Children’s health in early childhood education. Early Childhood Folio, 20, 16–20. https://doi.org/10.18296/ecf.0025
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