Peer-reviewed article
Theorising child well-being: Towards a framework for analysing Early Childhood Education policy in England
Martina Street ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This paper says that 'well-being' is widely used in child rights and early childhood education policy but is rarely defined clearly. It builds a theoretical framework from distributive approaches (primary goods and capability theory) and relational approaches to well-being. The framework is linked to the children's rights to provision, protection and participation in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The authors then use it to analyse the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and its measurement requirements in England, drawing on existing academic literature. They conclude that the EYFS understands well-being in limited ways that may limit young children's well-being.
Key points
- Child well-being is widely used in child rights and early childhood education policy but remains under-theorised.
- Two main approaches are described: distributive (primary goods, capability theory) and relational.
- The framework draws on the UNCRC rights to provision, protection and participation.
- The EYFS theorises well-being in ways that are limited and may be limiting for young children.
- EYFS measurement practices and curriculum goals may undermine practice that supports well-being.
Limitations
This is a theoretical and policy analysis based on a review of existing literature, so it does not measure children's well-being directly or test any intervention. Its conclusions about the effects of the EYFS are extrapolated from other studies rather than tested.
Abstract
‘Well-being’ is increasingly used in child rights discourses and early childhood education (ECE) policy contexts as a desirable outcome for young children. In spite of its ubiquitous use, however, child well-being remains largely under-theorised, thereby contributing to implicit understandings within policy arenas. This paper contributes to attempts to address this gap by proposing a theoretical framework of child well-being. The framework is developed in stages. First, two prominent approaches to well-being are described: distributive and relational approaches. Distributive approaches are subdivided into primary goods theory and capability theory. These theories focus on differential approaches to resource distribution. Relational approaches to well-being are then considered. These focus on the intrinsic importance of the processes of well-being. Second, the concepts privileged by each of these well-being theories are further developed into a framework by reflecting on children’s rights to provision, protection and participation as promoted by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Following this, the framework is used to analyse ECE policy with a specific focus on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and measurement requirements. Academic literatures examining ECE policy is then reviewed to extrapolate understandings of the potential implications of this policy for young children’s well-being. The findings suggest that the EYFS theorises well-being in ways that are limited and may be limiting of young children’s well beings and doings. The associated measurement practices and curriculum goals, in particular, may undermine practice supportive of young children’s well-being.