The Early Development Index and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Abstract

The Early Development Index (EDI) is a teacher-completed checklist, intended to be a population -level tool to mesure children's readiness for school and to alert communities to potential developmental problems in children. In response to the incrasing popularity of the EDI this paper provides a cirtical and timely evaluation and identifies the areas for improvment and modifications. The paper aims (1) to identify the limitations of othe EDI as a universal screening tool, particularly with regard to children from culturallyi and linguistically diverse backgrounds; (2) to alert readers to the potential negative implications of the current EDI for communities and society, and (3) to recommend ways for improvement so that the EDI will become valid and culturally appropriate screening tool for monitoring early development in CALD children. The ultimate aim is to help build an education system adn a society that can respect cultural land individual differences