The Early Childhood Development Association of Malta (ECDAM) has renewed its call for the professionalisation of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, saying that their role cannot be compared to that of a babysitter any longer. 

The Association is adamant in highlighting that early childhood educators, working with zero to five-year-olds, need to be valued and recognised like all other teachers. 

ECDAM is an independent and non-profit voluntary organisation, launched in 2016, which comprises and welcomes individuals who are in some way connected to ECEC and who have the care and education of young children at heart. To date, the Association has over 300 members. 

ECDAM’s primary goal is to strengthen the values, knowledge and skills of all those linked and committed to ECEC so as to promote and support high-quality educational programmes for young children. It also strives to influence policy and legislation on behalf of young children and all those allied to the early childhood education workforce to ensure that their voices are heard and their rights respected. 

The Association had already published a statement advocating for social justice with childcare and kindergarten educators in the upcoming reviews of Malta’s Education Act. 

With the change in Education Minister following the Cabinet reshuffle in November, it is now renewing this call, emphasising that professionalisation will grant ECEC educators access to career progression, access to a permanent warrant and pay parity with other educators at primary and secondary levels.

ECDAM noted that the EU Council has vouched for the value of high-quality early learning environments supported by a highly-qualified workforce. Yet, despite this international awareness, Malta’s ECEC workforce is not being given the attention it requires. The present   Education Act does not recognise the value of the profession of all educators working with zero- to five-year-olds.

As a starting point, the association suggested an amendment in the Education Act that incorporates the possibility for in-service and pre-service early childhood educators within the 0-5 sector to advance their careers to a Masters level 7 and acquire a permanent warrant that leads to pay parity with other regular teachers in the compulsory sector.   

The renewed call is supported by a joint statement that already ranked up hundreds of signatures and the Association remains adamant to receive more support from the public, stakeholders in education, and high-ranking entities or institutions within the sector. 

Anyone who wishes to act in the best interest of early childhood educators, young children and their families in Malta can read and sign the joint letter (deadline - end of January 2021) by visiting the “Early Childhood Development Association of Malta” Facebook page or through the following link: https://forms.gle/gkx5Yf4E9UhMZH5w7. 

ECDAM committee members:

Dr Anna Baldacchino, Dr Charmaine Bonello, Ms Kathryn Xuereb, Ms Grace Izzo, Ms Chantelle Xuereb, Ms Juanita Sultana, Ms Josette Bezzina and Ms Pia Darmanin.

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://ecdam.org