The power of love, as Frankie Goes to Hollywood told us more than 30 years ago, cleans all of our souls. But does this power enjoy such influence in early years? Not quite, according to one University of Edinburgh PhD candidate.
Love may lift us up where we belong, but as we’re all too aware, it’s a complex beast. Jane Malcolm - who is also the policy manager in Scotland for the National Day Nurseries Association - spent months trying to conceptualise and define love in early years, only to find herself back at square one: it’s simply too complex to do so.
What she did find - and what the vast majority of teachers of all age groups already know - is that love is always there in practice. What isn’t there, however, is language in policies and practice guidance that supports the management of love.
When Malcolm spoke to lead professionals who worked in various roles within the early learning and childcare sector, they spoke of staff just having “it”. When pushed on what “it” actually was - care? dedication? a good sense of humour? - they revealed, somewhat reluctantly, that “it” was, in fact, love.
Why is there such reticence about admitting to delivering love-led practice? Examining key documents in early learning and childcare in Scotland, Malcolm found that a greater emphasis was put on safer words like “nurturing” and “attachment”.
Clearly this demonstrates the need for a change of heart. Professions can be - and should be - able to deliver love-led practice with professionalism and integrity.
In Scotland, there seems to have been a shift in thinking, with the government’s 2018-19 programme stating that: “We want all our children to grow up in a supportive environment where we invest significantly in their future - not just financially - but also with time, energy and love.”
So now’s the time to join the love train and really push for love to be embedded in early years - not in a flimsy, tokenistic way, but in a way that really secures it as the object of desire for our early learning and childcare policy in Scotland.
