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This final episode reflects on what a socially just early childhood world requires and the implications for practice. Social justice in early childhood is not about constant reform or new initiatives but is grounded in core values. Despite progress, inclusion often remains something that educators feel compelled to justify rather than refine or deepen.
Froebel’s vision of childhood centered on unity, connection, and respect for the whole child. Liebschner (2001) and Bruce (2012) highlight that Froebel viewed play as the primary mode of learning - a means for children to make meaning, form relationships, and express belonging. Within this framework, inclusion is an ethical starting point rather than an additional responsibility, as McNair and Powell (2020) emphasize.
Despite these principles, inclusion in many early childhood settings continues to be shaped by deficit thinking, structural inequality, and limited resources. Children with additional support needs are often framed as challenges rather than participants enriching the community, while practitioners and families bear substantial labour to support inclusive experiences (McNair et al., 2021).
Comparative perspectives, particularly from Scandinavian and Froebelian traditions, demonstrate the possibilities when diversity is anticipated and inclusion is designed into the system. McLeod (2019) notes that prioritizing wellbeing, professional trust, and flexibility reduces the need for constant individual compensation, embedding inclusion into everyday practice.
A socially just early childhood world requires collective work, investment in people and environments, and attention to historically sidelined voices. Froebelian pedagogy, as described by McNair and colleagues (2020, 2021), is an ethical stance rooted in attentiveness, relationship, and responsibility. Moss and Petrie (2002) argue for recognizing practitioners as reflective professionals and co-constructors of knowledge and culture rather than technicians.
Inclusion is not a destination but a continuous practice reflecting the society we aspire to build. It requires valuing play, centering children, and creating relationships and environments that support full participation for all.
References
Bruce, T. (2012). The whole child. In T. Bruce (Ed.), Early childhood practice: Froebel today (pp. 5–16). SAGE.
Liebschner, J. (2001). A child’s work: Freedom and guidance in Froebel's educational theory and practice. Lutterworth Press.
McLeod, N. (2019). The reflexive educator. In N. McLeod & P. Giardiello (Eds.), Empowering early childhood educators: International pedagogies as provocation. Routledge.
McNair, L. J., Blaisdell, C., Davis, J. M., & Addison, L. J. (2021). Acts of pedagogical resistance: Marking out an ethical boundary against human technologies. Policy Futures in Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210320976978
McNair, L. J., & Powell, S. (2020). Friedrich Froebel: A path least trodden. Early Child Development and Care.
Moss, P., & Petrie, P. (2002). From children’s services to children’s spaces: Public policy, children and childhood. Routledge.