EduResearchMatters September 25, 2025 by Olivia Karaolis
Over the past three years, we have been exploring the presence—and perception—of joy in early childhood education. In a profession that should be defined by joy, we asked: has it been lost?
We listened to early childhood educators. They shared stories of a sector in crisis. But they also shared stories of the deep joy that working with young children can still bring. What we didn’t expect to find was an antidote.
Our research coincided with a national investigation into the early childhood sector—an investigation that has revealed alarming issues: allegations of abuse, unsafe practices, inadequate supervision, and underqualified educators who lacked awareness or understanding of essential policies and standards.
These are concerns that educators raised in this blog more than two years ago.
The educators in our study have been horrified by these allegations. One educator said, “What if the parents think they are writing about us. I want to tell them, we are not like that here”. Others speak of feeling uncomfortable around families and uncertain about how to address the reports in the media.
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