Trends in the Field & International Early Childhood Educators

The recent changes to Canada’s International Student Program has generated a lot of mixed emotions amongst Students, Instructors, Colleges and Childcare Centres. As an Early Childhood Education Instructor and Childcare Center Owner, I began thinking about what the implications of these changes might mean for me in the different aspects of my professional practices.

A few weeks ago, a graduate student of mine, who is also now an educator at my childcare center was experiencing high anxiety, fluster and sadness. I asked her what was going on since she is one of the most bubbliest and joyful people I know. She stated that the new change to the International Student Program was like a ticking time bomb for her as she was trying to secure her application for an LMIA. Her whole life was crumbling and everything she had worked so hard for now seemed to be up in the air. I sympathized with her and listened to her really trying to put myself in her shoes. All the months of studying hard, obtaining the credentials, securing accommodation and finding a job could disappear over night.

Looking at these changes implemented by the federal government, makes me think about what these changes will also mean for me as an Instructor. Majority of my students over the years have been international students. This brought a beautiful blanket of multiculturalism to my classroom, rich discussions, a sense of pluralism, and diverse friendships. It is one of my favourite things to see in an Early Childhood Adult Education classroom because these are qualities required to create inclusive quality Early Learning Childcare Centers. It is the richness of diversity that allows for children to discover the other and find a sense of their own identity while providing families from all different background with the supports they need.

The changes to Canada’s International Student Program include more credible screening processes, and "benefits for schools permitted to host international students that have higher standards, services and outcomes" (Janzen, 2024). These changes could also in return bring forth an enhanced quality of Early Childhood Education Training Programs, and consequently a stronger work force, However, this also could have severe implications for the current childcare worker shortage crisis because it will limit the amount of new Early Childhood Educators entering the field. This could be a challenge for an already struggling industry suffering from teacher shortages. This could also hinder the governments commitment to recruit more Early Childhood Educators to the field and increase childcare spaces.

What do you think? Have you been impacted by this? How are you dealing with it? If you are an ECE Instructor, how will this affect the climate of your classroom? If you are a childcare center administrator, how will this affect your recruitment and hiring procedures?

JANZEN, R., ABRAMOFF, K., & CHURCH, C. (2024, April 17). In Review: Canada’s Changing International Student Program. The Academica Forum. https://academica.ca

Read the article here:

https://forum.academica.ca/forum/you-are-here

Remember "Enjoy every given moment".

Love Nika

Blog Post © 2024 by Nika Jibrael is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0