Posted ByDannielle Green (Syd) on July 13, 1999 at 08:11:21:
In Reply to: Parents expectations when enroling their child in Preschool posted bySarah on July 12, 1999 at 23:16:11:
I cant speak from every angle as there are many, but I can speak from my own experiences with Long Day Care.
In Australia we have an Accreditation system whereby you must reach a certain quality to receive financial assistance from the Goverernment.
Accreditation has forced Child Care Centres (not preschools) into improving their daily practices. With this seems to have come the rising in parent expectations.
I feel that parents USED to feel that childcare centres were a place where you could drop off your child, have them fed, toileted, played with, and kept generally happy while they were at work.
I feel this has changed. Parents expectations keep growing and growing. There is now more of a call for "education" in centres. I feel parents FELT in the past that if their children actually learnt anything at the centre it was a bonus. NOW it seems to be expected that they will learn something.
I think the change is a good one, for with these rising expectations comes a new respect for teachers and childcare workers.