From "Childcare Worker" to "Childcare Aspirant"

Is the current state of the childcare worker examination acceptable?

The childcare worker examination was held over two days, April 18th and 19th.
What was the content of this exam like?

I have been sharing my thoughts on the childcare worker examination through a post titled "Aspirations".

The point is whether knowledge that is rarely used in the field is being required at a high level.

Of course, I understand that a certain level of rigor is required for a national qualification.
I do not intend to deny the importance of having a broad range of knowledge.

However, on the other hand, once you enter the field,
the situations where much of the knowledge learned in the exam is directly applied are limited.

Is this gap truly appropriate?

The sense of discomfort visible from the voices of examinees

After the exam, various opinions were seen on 'X' (formerly Twitter).

• "Even with a welfare-related qualification, it is difficult"

• "Are social welfare issues really necessary for childcare workers?"

• "It is too obscure, and the direction is unclear"

• "Detailed parts not in the reference books are appearing on the exam"

While these voices represent only a portion, what they have in common is a sense of discomfort regarding the
"distance between the exam content and actual practice".

The balance between "broad knowledge" and "necessary knowledge"

The job of a childcare worker involves various fields such as welfare, education, and medicine.
Therefore, having a broad range of knowledge is certainly important.

However, the problem is how that knowledge is treated.

As a childcare worker,
which knowledge should be emphasized as "fundamental"?
which knowledge should be positioned as "advanced"?

If this balance is not appropriate, the very direction of learning will be misaligned.

What are the skills required in the field?

In recent years, issues such as inappropriate childcare and abuse have gained social attention.
In this situation, what is required in the field is,

• the ability to assess a child's condition

• the ability to predict and avoid danger

• the ability to interact appropriately with guardians

• the ability to collaborate as a team

and other such highly practical skills.

For example,

• procedures for handling vomiting

• understanding the risks of aspiration and choking

• responding to heatstroke

• infectious disease control

Such knowledge is directly linked to daily childcare.

While understanding history and systems is also important,
should it be treated with the same weight as judgments directly linked to life?
Doubts remain on this point.

Difficulty is necessary, but the "direction" is in question

I do not intend to deny that the exam itself is difficult.
Rather, a certain level of difficulty is necessary to ensure quality.

However, is that difficulty

"the difficulty of improving judgment in the field"or
is it"the difficulty of questioning the details of knowledge"?

This is a major difference.

If it were the former, many examinees would likely be convinced.
However, if it leans toward the latter, the meaning of the exam itself becomes harder to see.

The structure of the examination system and the burden on examinees

There is one more point that concerns me.
That is the relationship between the examination fee and the content of the exam.

The childcare worker examination requires an examination fee of approximately 13,000 yen per attempt.
Even if you are taking only one subject out of nine, the system requires the same amount to be paid.

I do not mean to say that this amount itself is the problem.
I can understand that there are certain costs involved in a national qualification.

However, the problem lies in the nature of the content being tested in exchange for that fee.

You fail due to so-called "maniacal questions" that have little connection to the actual workplace, and you must pay the same fee again to take the exam.

When this structure is repeated, some examinees begin to wonder,

"Isn't this a system (or questions) designed to make money (by collecting exam fees)?"

Of course, I cannot conclude that it is intentionally designed that way as a system.
However, isn't the very fact that it is perceived that way a problem in itself?

In reality,

1. failing due to content that has little direct relevance to being a childcare worker

2. paying 13,000 yen every time you retake the exam

3. having that repeated over and over

When faced with this situation,
can you really take it positively and think, "I'll pass next time"?

The burden on the examinee's heart definitely accumulates.
"What if I fail again?"
"Is this exam really necessary for me?"

As these thoughts pile up,
the very desire to keep trying is eroded.

What is even more serious is the feeling that lies beyond that.

Is the desire to become a childcare worker and work with children being worn down by the exam?

The fact that there are people who feel this way cannot be overlooked.
How should we accept this reality?

I want many people to know about this reality.

And,

Why is it structured this way?
Is this form truly optimal?
Is it a meaningful exam for the candidates and for the field?

I want many people to think about this.

The contradiction with the reality of the childcare worker shortage

While the shortage of childcare workers is currently considered an issue,
the number of 'latent childcare workers'—those who hold the qualification but are not working in the field—is increasing.

This situation may indicate a problem with the system,
rather than just a simple labor shortage.

The gap between exam content and the field
Unnecessarily high hurdles
Increase in dropouts

This structure becomes apparent.

What should be questioned is not the 'difficulty level' but the 'design'

What is important here is
not 'whether to make the exam easier'.

The essence is

• What is the exam measuring?

• What is required at which stage?

• How does it connect to the field?

These are questions of design.

If the design is misaligned,
it will not ensure quality,
but rather become a mechanism that loses talent at the entrance.

Are the voices of the field being heard?

After the exam, many voices are posted on platforms like 'X (formerly Twitter)'.
However, it is unclear if these actually reach the exam creators.

Speaking out is important.
However, that alone will not change the system.

What is needed is
to convey the perspective of the field in a way that reaches them.

Conclusion — As a next step

Until now, I have been sharing ways of thinking and making judgments suited to the childcare field in the form of
⭕️❌ quizzes.

The background to this is
the gap between the skills truly needed in the field and the skills measured by the current examination.

Childcare is not a job that tests knowledge.
It is an
extremely practical job of reading the situation on the spot and choosing the best way to interact with the child.

Nevertheless, the current examination
is not necessarily structured to measure those skills.

That is why I am thinking.

From 'Childcare Worker' to 'Childcare Aspirant'.

Not just an exam to obtain a qualification, but
an exam taken by those who have an aspiration for childcare.

• Judgment skills required in the field

• How to interact with children

• Ability to respond according to the situation

It is a
new form of evaluation aligned with the field that centers on such skills.

This is not to deny the existing childcare worker examination.
However, at the same time, it is a fact that there are areas that cannot be fully measured by the current examination alone.

That is precisely why I believe there is meaning in presenting to society

an 'examination that tests skills that work in the field'
as another axis.

Childcare in the field cannot protect children with only knowledge of historical dates, laws, and the constitution.
What is ultimately questioned is
how you judge and how you interact with the child in front of you.

A mechanism to correctly evaluate those skills.

That is the concept of a 'Childcare Aspirant' who has an aspiration for childcare, and it is a challenge I want to
(establish a 'Childcare Aspirant Examination') shape into reality.

If you resonate with this, I would be happy if we could spread and think about this issue together.

To that end, I am currently
posting 'scenes' as quizzes
and posting '♠︎' as reference text, so please take a look at those as well.

(After the table of contents and 'I would be happy if you also read the thoughts behind the first part of this post below', I have included just one actual childcare worker examination question.)

I would be happy if you could also read the thoughts in the first part of this post ↓

I would be happy if you could also read these two and give them a 'Like 🩷'↑↓

Collaboration [1: Balloon Performer Catherine]

Balloon Performer Catherine Instagram

If you are interested, please head over to Instagram and contact them via DM, etc.
Please also follow them.

Collaboration [2: Flower and Heart Stylist Rinshin]

Flower and Heart Stylist Rinshin Instagram

If you are interested, please head over to Instagram and contact them via DM, etc.
Please also follow them.

Collaboration [3: Toy Consultant Ryuma]

Toy Consultant Ryuma Instagram

If you are interested, please head over to Instagram and try contacting them via DM or other means.
Please also follow them.

Collaboration [4: Kaoru Ono, Representative Director of Japan Mirai Education LABO]

Japan Mirai Education LABO Representative Director Kaoru Ono Instagram

If you are interested, please head over to Instagram and try contacting them via DM or other means.
Please also follow them.

Collaboration [5: Nicomary Color Sand Art Representative Mariko Yuasa]

Nicomary Color Sand Art Representative Mariko Yuasa Instagram

If you are interested, please head over to Instagram and try contacting them via DM or other means.
Please also follow them.

Creative Fiction