ABSTRACT
Much of what we take for granted in our lives as in some way fixed, is in fact a social construction. The millennium itself is occurring because our ancestors decided to call what they conjectured to be the year of the birth of Christ as year zero-hence we end up celebrating the year 2000. Events such as this are seen by some as having mystical significance. However most of us view the millennium, it can be the catalyst for reflection on how our society has been, and is, developing. Among other debates, it can cause us to pause and consider our country’s attitude to and treatment of the youngest children in our society. More than ever before politicians of all parties are beginning to take an interest in educational provision for children in their earliest years. Not only is daycare for working mothers high on the agenda, as women overtake men as a proportion of the workforce, evidence that early learning promotes children’s later achievements (e.g. Ball, 1994; Shorrocks, 1992; Schweinhart and Weikart, 1993a) is at last recognized by top levels of government.
