15 YEARS IN: UNPACKING DECE REFLECTIONS AND REALITIES
BY SAMIA JAVED T
he 2025-26 school year marks 15 years of Full-Day Kinder- garten (FDK) in Ontario and the integration of early child- hood educators (ECEs) into
the public school system as designated early childhood educators (DECEs). Te road map for FDK grew out of exten-
sive consultation and input from education experts, including Charles Pascal’s 2009 re- port, With Our Best Future in Mind. Ground- ed in developmental neuroscience and global research, this report recognized the profound impact of high-quality early years programs on brain development and lifelong social, emotional and cognitive growth, and empha- sized the vital role of ECEs in delivering qual- ity educational programs. FDK introduced a co-teaching model,
pairing a teacher and a DECE to deliver a play- and inquiry-based program. Tis marked a significant shiſt from previous Kin- dergarten approaches that leaned towards structured, teacher-led lessons focused on academic readiness. Te new model reiterat- ed play as a key learning process, essential for developing problem-solving and cognitive skills, resilience and social-emotional growth across multiple domains.
8 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2025
THE HISTORY AND SCIENCE OF PLAY Modern education is grounded in the contri- butions of scholars such as Froebel, Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget and Montessori, who con- clusively demonstrated that learning is most effective when it is experiential, child-centred, inclusive and rooted in social interaction and discovery. Central to their work is the recogni- tion that play is not a recreational add-on, but the foundational mechanism through which children engage in knowledge construction, meaning making and development across multiple domains: cognitive, social, emo- tional and physical. Play is recognized as the highest expres-
sion of human development, enabling chil- dren to explore, create and communicate within environments designed to support their growth. When thoughtfully and dem- ocratically constructed to foster curiosity, inquiry and interaction, the learning envi- ronment itself acts as a “third teacher,” shap- ing opportunities for creativity, exploration and meaningful engagement. Tis reflects a broader commitment to children’s rights and participation, recognizing that children learn best when they are active contributors to their own learning.
Dewey emphasized that democracy in
education requires the inclusion of all voices, ensuring that individuals, including children, are active participants in shaping their learn- ing experiences, a vision echoed in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which affirms that chil- dren have the right to express their views and have those views respected in decisions that affect them. Collectively, these perspectives have
shaped modern educational practices, af- firming that when learning is experiential, play-based and inclusive, it fosters not only academic success but also children’s overall well-being and sense of agency.
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