What does it mean to be a Froebelian in the 21st century?

An Essay

Authors

  • Helge Wasmuth Mercy College

Keywords:

Fröbel, Froebelian principles, ECEC, GERM

Abstract

What does it mean to be a Froebelian in the 21st century? It is not a new question but one that is more urgent than ever. Not only since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic but for years, young children and their well-being have been thrust aside, and Early Childhood Education and Care worldwide has been treated as subordinate. The Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) has negatively impacted early childhood education over the last decades, and these tendencies have only exacerbated during the pandemic. This essay centers around what it means to be a Froebelian and what role Froebelian thinking can play in the 21st century. The focus is on the questions and not the answers. The essay asks what it does and what it does not mean to be a Froebelian in the 21st century. It finishes by reflecting on the role that Froebelian thinking can play today to advocate for young children’s well-being in a post-pandemic world by resisting current GERM thinking and developing alternatives.

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Published

2022-07-13

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2022): Finding Froebel: National and Cross-National Pedagogical Paths in Froebelian Early Childhood Education (Part 2)

Section

Theme Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Helge Wasmuth

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