Reflecting On My Experience With Professional Contacts

During the eight weeks that I have spent in this course, I have had the pleasure of speaking with and learning from early childhood professionals in other countries, the UK and Ireland in particular. This opportunity allowed me to learn the following things:
1. The early childhood education is viewed differently in other countries. I found that early childhood education is valued more in other countries and is held to a higher standard.
2. In some other countries, early childhood teachers are held to the same educational standards as elementary school teachers. They are required to have advanced degrees and get paid along the same scale.
3. Free Pre-Kindergarten is very prevalent in other countries. I learned that the UK, Ireland, and Finland have public Pre-K programs, among many other European countries.

One goal that I have for early childhood education, is to bring public Pre-K into the United States. Showing the importance of early childhood education, along with statistics of other countries that use public Pre-K, will bring awareness to this issue. Once our nation realizes the importance of early childhood education, and understands the value it holds and sees how other countries view it, maybe we will take a step in the right direction.