Paradoks: nauczyciel(ka) przedszkola – profesja społecznie ważna o niskim poziomie prestiżu
The Paradox: the Kindergarten Teacher – a Socially Important Profession of Low Prestige

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the notion of the profession of a kindergarten teacher as socially important but whose social significance is also encapsulated in the statement, “A kindergarten teacher is a lady who likes children.” Consequently, a person of high competences and qualifications is stripped of the professional prestige to which she or he is entitled. The author lists arguments that illustrate the complexity and multi-dimensional nature of the profession of a kindergarten teacher from the moment this occupation emerged in Poland in the 19th century. She points to how much responsibility rests on kindergarten teachers for the wellbeing, development and education of the children entrusted in their care. What is crucial, according to the author, are the qualifications and competences of the people who undertake work with children aged three to six, obtained both as part of formal education and in the course of life-long learning as well as the responsibilities they shoulder choosing to work as kindergarten teachers. She draws attention to the cultural, educational, intellectual, and social capital that kindergarten teachers have themselves and can unlock in their environment.

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