Management Practices of Early Education Programs of Australia and the Philippines: Towards the Development of Kindergarten Management Framework

With the developments taking place after the institutionalization of the universal kindergarten in the Philippines in 2011, one crucial aspect is lacking - a management framework for the country’s kindergarten education program that will guide the decision-making process of ECE administrators and managers. This study sought to describe and compare Australia and Philippines’ management of early childhood education for five-year old children to develop a management framework for Philippine Kindergarten. It utilized a case study approach. Semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observation were employed in this study. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 12 kindergarten teachers, 2 parents and 4 ECE administrators as participants for the study. Document analysis included official documents such as Every Student Succeeding – State Schools Strategy and School Improvement Hierarchy of Queensland, Australia and DepEd Orders and Memoranda. Observations were conducted in ECE public schools in both countries. Data gathered from these instruments went through content and thematic analysis.

The findings of this study reveal six themes - 1) successful implementation of an equitable and accessible kindergarten education; 2) collaborative partnership; 3) health, well-being, and safety; 4) leadership and performance; 5) kindergarten education program and curriculum; and 6) teaching quality. These identified themes served as the bases in identifying unique practices that were considered in the formulation of a Kindergarten Management Framework for the country. It is recommended that this framework be implemented and evaluated to assess its efficiency and effectiveness.