Chapter 14: Play: Early Childhood Pedagogies and Policies in a Globalizing Asia

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss changes in national policies in early childhood education in some parts of Asia. In developing Asian countries, the forces of globalization and the efforts of world organizations are supporting an early childhood narrative that promotes a child-centered and play-based pedagogical approach. And yet, at the same time, global forces are seen to lead to the “Westernization” of education through competition and commercialization. Examples from some urban classrooms in India, Singapore, China, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives are used to illustrate if, and how, shifts in national policies are being manifested in classroom practice. Concerns are raised about the risk of cultural incursions as a result of conflicting pedagogies rooted in different worldviews. Postcolonial theory is utilized as a conceptual lens to frame these arguments. Recognizing the pervasiveness of global forces, the recommendations proposed emphasize a hybrid third space within early childhood education discourse that may be used to empower rather than colonize.