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DECET stands for Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training. It is a European network of teachers, professionals, researchers and policy makers. They are promoting and studying democratic childcare, while acknowledging the multiple (cultural and other) identities of children and families.
Currently DECET focuses on three 'work packs' with specific questions:

1. Children’s voices
How can we offer children a chance to express their vision and ideas on citizenship, democracy and children's rights? This group is analyzing dominating child images and how they influence the way we think and act. That's how we've discovered we know little about the very competencies of children and their need to act and stand up in issues that matter to them.

2. Parents as investigators
This workpack wants to actively involve parents as users of any educational support system. The idea is that parents have a lot of knowledge on and experience in educating children. But this knowledge is seldom used by policies, scientists or people working in any child related sector. We want to 'frame' the view, the knowledge and interpretations of certain groups on parenthood and educating children.
We want parents, professionals, scientists and policies to share the knowledge on certain aspects of education and/or parenthood. Parents that belong to minority groups (refugees, immigrants, single mothers...) deserve a chance to get into dialogue with the local authorities, services (such as childcare) and media. This is the ideal way to improve their educational situation.

Approach:
Parents are split up into group. Together they do research on an educational theme they have selected themselves. They receivre support from a guide (process based) and a scientific staff member of a university (method based). The results of this research can be used in a dialogue with parents, provisions and the policy itself. By doing this, the parents from minority groups get a 'voice' in the public debate on education.

3. Professionalism and gender
Which competencies and skills do professionals in childcare need if they are facing diversity in families (newly composed families, different backgrounds, different religions and cultures…)? Which skills are required to work with a diverse team (e.g. male professionals)? We focus on making the profession more gender sensitive: how can we attract more men in childcare?

We are currently questioning experienced people within the sector in Europe (France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Serbia and Spain), Morocco and Mexico. This type of action research is the basis for new educational instrument that will be developed.

Contact: Veerle Vervaet

Visit the DECET website