EC 512: Educator's Role, Legal Requirements, Child Wellbeing

This essay delves into the multifaceted aspects of child wellbeing within early childhood education. It underscores the pivotal role of educators in creating a safe and stimulating environment, emphasizing their responsibility in fostering physical, intellectual, and emotional development. The essay highlights the significance of understanding legal requirements and ethical principles that govern child protection and rights, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Vulnerable Children Act. It explores effective practices, such as active supervision, play-based learning, and family involvement, to support children's holistic development. The essay also references key research and frameworks like the Reggio Emilia approach and the concept of Hauora, emphasizing the importance of a holistic and integrated approach to early childhood development and protection. The essay concludes by reiterating the crucial role of educators in promoting child safety and wellbeing through awareness, implementation of best practices and proactive measures.

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Introduction:
For a decade, early childhood education and rights of children in early childhood setting
have gained increased attention in the research setting. The world health organization suggested
that approximately 43% of children in middle and low income are experiencing developmental
delay due to lack of nourishment. Over 80% of the brain development is observed during the
early years of the children which can be facilitated by the proper environment and 15 minutes of
the playing activating (Alcock & Ritchie, 2018). Moreover, a significant number of children
subjected to physical abuse, negligence which resulted in poor development of children.
Fostering the right environment in the early childhood setting can help children to develop self-
esteem and shaping behaviors. In this context, early childhood educators play a crucial role in
shaping the health and wellbeing of the children. Hence, education professionals must acquire
skills and knowledge regarding screening tools when they suspect any delay in the
developmental milestone. This essay aims to demonstrate the role of the educator in maintaining
a safe and healthy early childhood setting. This essay will discuss the role of educator in early
childhood setting, legal requirements and ethical principle that promote child protection and
rights and effective practice for supporting the wellbeing of the infants, toddler and young
children.
Discussion:
Knowledge of teacher’s role:
Early Childhood Educators play a crucial role in developing a rich and stimulating
environment for young learners. The educator stimulates interesting as well as fun activities that
facilitate the development of physically, intellectually as well as emotionally. Children of 1 to 5

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years usually depend on providers for all basic necessities. Moreover, they are frequently
vulnerable to develop a range of health issues when they are exposed to outer environments such
as insect bite, unknown plan and communicable disease from their peers (Wood & Hedges,
2016). The toddlers also exhibit increased mobility in the outer environment such as climbing,
jumping, and running and kick which posed a greater threat to their physical safety. In this
context, early childhood educators play an essential role to ensure that children are playing on a
safe environment, soft surface and playing with safe play equipment so that injuries can be
prevented. Munzer and Hashikawa (2020), suggested that in the early childhood setting,
educators play crucial in maintaining safety by preventing the potential health risk and hazard,
supporting them to gain skills of clean environment like hand washing and personal hygiene
(Chan & Ritchie ,2019). Moreover, pre-schooler of 3 to 5 years tend to be more independent in
their necessary daily activities and have the ability to understanding the language,
communications. In this case, early childhood educators usually engage the children in basic
playground rules, language skills, pre-literacy skills (rhythms, alphabets, number skills), motor
skills and shape and color recognized. They organize activities that promote social, creative and
physical skills along with high self-esteem. Curtis (2018), suggested that each individual is
unique and have unique development experience in their early childhood. In this case, early
childhood educators support the individual need of the children with the assistance of different
teaching methods such as instructing infants to convey their ideas, feelings and needs in unique
ways by engaging them in the conversation, asking and responding. Early childhood educators
improve children’s behaviour by demonstrating good practice to them. On the other hand,
Arreman and Erixon (2017), suggested that since a significant number of children and pre-
schooler subjected to physical abuse and neglect, early childhood educators usually play a

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fundamental role in tracking reporting abusive situation to the authorities, observing and
monitoring individual progress by collaborating parents and other staff members. Hence, early
childhood educators role in maintaining a safe and healthy early childhood environment.
Legal requirement and for promoting child protection and rights:
Children and young people have similar fundamentals of human rights as adults since the
specific human rights of the children recognise their special need for protection. In the early
childhood setting, the basic rights of children are commonly considered into three categories
such as provision rights, protection rights and participation rights. Hence, the Commission’s
2004 review of human rights in New Zealand1 consider the fact that most children must able to
enjoy their fundamental human rights (Pauker et al., 2018). The children’s right commission of
New Zealand identified that majority of the children are subjected to poverty and abuse as well
as neglect that breach the basic rights of the children. In this context, UN Committee on the
Rights of the Child provides legal rights to the children and children protection services to report
mandatory violence and abuse against the children as well as young people under 59 section of a
criminal act (Www.hrc.co.nz., 2020). It provides educational rights, increased support through
working with the family, improving access to the primary health care services, protection from
corporal punishment. Child protection guidelines of New Zealand suggested that in order to
promote child protection, the school must have an effective child protection policy and planned
relationship education program and abuse prevention must be taken place at the school level
(Estola, Farquhar & Puroila, 2014). In order to promote the child safety, ministry of education
proposed a child protection policy under The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 that encourage
educators to encourage a culture of child protection, have an open relationship with clients and
services users regarding child safety concern, assess the point of the children (Black et al., 2016).

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The Evidence Act 2006 and Care of Children Act specifically enable educators to consider the
views of the children.
The legal requirement for the educators to reflect on the child protection and safety is to
comply with Code of Professional Responsibility of education council of New Zealand such as
commitment to the teaching profession (first code) by promoting high-quality teaching.
Commitment to learners (second code) by promoting a safe environment free from harm and
abuse. Standards for the teaching profession that educators must comply with include “Te Tiriti o
Waitangi partnership”, “Professional learning” and “Professional relationships”
(Teachingcouncil.nz., 2020).
Effective practice to support the wellbeing:
Loris Malaguzzi through Reggio Emilia approach suggested that in order to support the
developmental wellbeing of the children, educators must use a unique approach and involve in
the practices that can address the unique need. In this context, UNICEF advocates for the
integrated approach and holistic approach in early childhood development. One such effective
approach is the active supervision of the children. Smith et al (2018), suggested that active
supervision is the most effective strategy for a care provider to create a safe and injured free
environment which ensures a safe and nurturing place to maximize a creative play as well as
exploration. This strategy enable educator to maintain focused attention all the time (Pauker et
al., 2018). The active supervision the creation of a safe environment through daily playground
inspection so that frequent injuries can be prevented. The active supervision also enables
educators to place themselves in the playground to hear all the children and observed all the
children (Teachingcouncil.nz., 2020). Another strategy for effective practice is to engage
children in a range play and numerically based group activities in the indoor setting in a group so

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that children can develop problem-solving skills along with interpersonal skills. Involving
children in healthy eating habit and toiletry habit is also part of effective practice that not only
address the nutritional habit of the children but also support developmental milestone. Third
effective practice is to involve family members of the children in the early childhood setting and
ensuring that home environment so that children can experience a healthy childhood. Family
caregivers are primary caregivers of toddlers or children since they shape behaviour, self-esteem
and confidence. In this context, family members with collaboration of the teachers to identify the
specific need of the children so that the children can experience proper developmental milestone
(Phillips, Ritchie & Adair, 2018). In New Zealand, especially Maori toddlers often experience
poverty, abuse, neglect and trauma due to poor parental relationship, overcrowded home
environment. In this case, the effective practice strategy for educators is to report the abuse to the
children protection and child right commission with proper incident evidence so that it can
promote child safety and protection.
Conclusion:
On a concluding note, it can be said that fostering the right environment in the early
childhood setting is crucial to develop self-esteem and shape behaviours. In this context, the
educator must be aware of the identification of the needs for fostering the right environment.
Educators play crucial in maintaining safety by preventing the potential health risk and hazard,
supporting them to gain skills of clean environment like hand washing and personal hygiene.
Commission’s 2004 review of human rights in New Zealand1 consider the fact that most
children must able to enjoy their fundamental human rights. In order to provide a safe
environment, the children protection commission provide the children with the rights to share

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their point of view. The effective practice for the educators is to involve in active supervision so
that safety can be promoted.

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Zealand. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 21(1), 77-88.
Arreman, I. E., & Erixon, P. O. (2017). Professional and academic discourse–Swedish
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Black, M. M., Walker, S. P., Fernald, L. C., Andersen, C. T., DiGirolamo, A. M., Lu, C., ...
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