The Debate of Defining Childhood: A Multifaceted Discussion - Essya Sample

Introduction

Defining the expectation of adults and children is a debatable subject. Aged, adults, adolescents, children, and infants are seen to be constantly changing in either mental, physical, or biological aspects that uncover their respective stages. However, the definition of childhood is widely differentiated by various cultures, for instance, there is a huge variation between how a poor and a rich society will define childhood (Thane, 1981). Mostly, children are view as people who can are dependent on adults, however, this perception does not apply to a poor society where children tend to be independent at a tender age as compared to rich societies. Still, establishing the legal line of division between children and adults has been a challenging issue. There have been global historical changes from non-existing childhood ideas to a more recognized one, acknowledging a unique dependency of infants on adults through policymaking.

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History of Education for Children In 1900s

Before the development of a distinct boundary between adults and childhood, children could engage in activities which adults were involved in whether playing or duties. Children were despised, despised, and neglected as there was limited awareness of distinguishing adults from children. During the medieval period, the concept of children started to be perceived differently; there was a need to train this child to acquire certain capabilities. The concept emerged as a need to shape children into more responsible adults was realized. These training were structured as formal education to expand the knowledge and fulfill the need of making fully informed individuals (Yell et al., 2006). However, it is unfortunate that not all children could be educated due to various reasons that were previously unrecognized (Pollock, 1983).

Yell et al. (2006) suggested that individual children with special needs such as disabilities, either sight or ear problems were excluded in regular education. Until late 20th century, these children were isolated from the institutions and were supposedly required to stay with their families while the other who were physically fit allowed to join educational institutions (HSE). Children with such conditions were viewed as second-class persons and often sent to relatives in remote areas. In such, there was a denial of education for all of the groups included. During the era, disabled children were either completely excluded from associating with others or stringent measures and norms on accessing educational facilities (Yell et al., 1998).

Policies Empowering Education to All

Therefore, due to such inequalities in the society, political movements against the norms created that perpetually excluded the vulnerable groups began in the mid-1900s. In line with that, various legislations were set as comprehensive regulations concerning education for disabled children. Consequently, a policy addressing the issue was drafted - Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) in 1975 (Mead & Paige 2008). The development of education for handicapped children over the years could not have been established if the policy was not in place because still disable persons were seen as unfit. Since there was less training on teachers on students with disabilities additional to limited resources to cater for the same, parental advocacy which had begun shortly after the EAHCA policy was passed pressurizing local and district schools to adhere to the established laws. Mead and Paige (2008) suggested that, following EAHCA enactment, another policy that was critical in ensuring all children accessed education was passed in 1986 - the Infant and Toddler with Disabilities Act (ITDA). This was drafted as an educational policy under the IDEA. By effecting the ITDA, parents and children were able to receive services for their kids immediately the conditions were observed. Children with such conditions were subjected to a different service unit contrary to the regular education system that enables them to be knowledgeable while at the same time developing them. To empower the children who have been educationally neglected due to their conditions, the ADA reauthorized the IDEA policy scraping the handicapped to disabled while at the same time replacing the first suffix with the last in referring to individuals with the condition (Mead & Paige 2008). For instance, handicapped-student now translated to a student with a disability. In 2004, further reauthorization of the IDEA policy emphasized on bring accountability, standard-curriculum, and empowerment. In such, the policy could ensure appropriate interventions are used in teaching and accessing the regular education curriculum for all individuals who were rejected.

Policies Framework

Every child matter agenda has grown to be a great debate on how schools, families, parents, and cares are expected to treat children (Argent, 2007). The agenda gives much attention to all children as equal ensuring no discrimination at any point in the child's growth. Therefore, the development of the EAHCA in 1975 was to meet the need of millions of children who were disabled and never had a chance to access education (Mead & Paige 2008). Disabled children were excluded from schools, those who were able to attend were could not assess appropriate means of interpreting regular curriculum education, failure to recognize different disability conditions translating to special needs, and unavailability of resources to further uphold their education in both local and district schools. Thus, there was a need to structure regulations that would, in turn, bring educational equity to all children. By approving the EAHCA, disabled children could access appropriate, free, public education that attends their various special needs. Through meeting the needs of every child, the policy fulfills the mandate of ensuring that every child will at one time attain a state of independence in living.

The policy which was signed as a marking boundary between the age of disabled-education misrepresentation and disable-education representation involves children who possess a condition of Autism, deaf-blind, deafness, hearing, multiple disabilities, orthopedic, emotional, speech, tremor, visual, and other impairments (Yell et al., 2006). Although the provision was put in place on the mandate of this policy, still, the policy had only one provision and seems not to be effective - parents could only recover resources used in demanding the right of a disabled child. Consequently, disabled children could be expelled or suspended for their conduct guided by their condition further arousing a sense of misrepresentation. Concerning that, the policy was further amended to incorporate the emphasis of participation of parents in assessing and developing individualized educational program (IEP).

Besides, the EAHCA was renamed to IDEA during the second amendment to address various issues that seemed yet to be attained. "Child with a disability" replaced the recognized "handicapped child" while more rights that were not previously provided to the parents were provided. The second amendment also provided that IEP strategy would uphold school and after school life for disabled children by providing them with assistive technology. Following some negative consequences of increased parental rights over the disabled child stipulated in the second amendment, the IDEA policy further deprived parents' rights in 1993 over some issues affecting FAPE on disabled children. Parents may fail to agree on the specific need the child should be subjected to which in turn leads to a hearing, either way, the need for a child to access education or special care is undebatable. Therefore, more power was withdrawn from the parents on the decision about where and how the child should be attended. Further, the policy was strengthened in 1997 giving parents more power of participating in deciding for the child. Parents are listed first in the IEP under the third amendment of the policy clarifying their roles in the process.

Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE)

After establishing a policy consistent with every child matter agenda and assessing the provisions that are effective in the pre-schooling, the European childhood study carried an investigation involving children below 7 years of age to assess whether the social and intellectual development of a child is affected by pre-schooling. Additionally, the study investigated whether pre-schooling is different and if they can impact on social inequality.

A comparison between the characteristic of children who attended pre-school and those who did not attend significantly varied (Sylva et al., 2004). Although homegroup revealed lower attainment as compared to pre-school experienced, it cannot be concluded that lower attainment is directly linked with not attending pre-school. However, there is a strong statistical correlation between a comparison of social behavior and attainment. According to Sylva et al. (2004), pre-schooling experiences upholds the development of cognitive traits on children aged 6. Attainment analysis of children influenced by environment and parenting for 2 years revealed that there is poor cognitive attainment on children who are home-based that those who are included in the pre-schooling. Finding from these studies are consistent with other previously researched the EPPE technically unveiling a higher association of children's cognitive traits and pre-schooling. Thus, individual children who remain at home are at a higher disadvantage during the critical stage of development.

For children with age 7, there is no significant difference between the behaviors of children whether in the pre-schooled environment or home-based (Sylva et al., 2004). However, there is a slight positive difference in attainment for individual children subjected to highly effective schools than home-based. With such, the results indicate that attainment in intellectual knowledge is more important and lasting than social traits. At age 7, comprehension of children to various topics such as attainment in mathematics still dominates at the end of the first stage, this indicates that the presence of pre-schooling is an advantage to attainments in academics. Generally, children who do not attend pre-schooling are critically poorer as compared to those who attended (Sylva et al., 2004). Besides, the time interval to which the kids will be subjected to pre-schooling significantly impact on childhood attainment.

Theories Underpinning Practices

Piaget Cognitive Theory

This theory emphasizes on learning and development. Capabilities of a learner define the development while capability realization refers to learning. The relationship built on by education and capabilities within the theory is influenced by external factors. Different psychological elements, patterns or units organization are reflected in the cognitive theory which in turn affects how information is interpreted by children (Navaneedhan & Kamalanabhan 2017). In this theory, the level of reasoning acquired by a child is directly related to how a child understands. Although all children undergo the same development stage, Piaget's theory establishes there are different rates of growth. For these reasons, teachers play a vital role in seeing such growth are achieved by providing different class-based activities either for individual or individual groups. Further, children's cognitive development should be individually be assessed rather than being grouped in any way. Mcdonald et al., (2014) suggested that all teachers must, therefore, allow learners to unveil experiences by giving them an opportunity which will encourage them to...