Every action has consequences. Like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripples extend outward, often further and deeper than we can see. This is true whether it is policy, practices, or individual choices. In the case of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), many influential policies have been fueled by the highly competitive and accountability-driven Global Education Reform Movement (GERM). These have not been without consequences. Policies have an impact and lead to changes, some of them intended and others (un) intended, and many of these consequences are concerning and, frankly, unethical. As Diane Ravitch has pointed out: “The privatizers hail disruption and call it ‘creative,’ but it is neither creative nor beneficial” (2020: 8). Of course, policymakers and those in power always frame such policies in socially acceptable and appealing terms, and sometimes it may be indeed true that such policies translate into practice differently than intended, creating unintended consequences for children, teachers, or even society on a larger scale. Other times, however, such consequences are anticipated and welcomed by those in power to benefit them. These consequences often protect agendas that are not widely accepted, such as making a profit at the expense of families and children in need or shaping a generation by eroding ideals of democracy and equality. It is this type of consequence, with its duplicitous agenda, what we call an (un)intended consequence, that is the focus of this issue. This special issue aims to explore in detail the consequences, both truly unintended and (un)intended, of current early childhood policies around the globe. One must ask who is

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当前ECEC政策的（意外）后果：揭示和检查隐藏的议程

每个行动都有后果。就像扔进池塘里的石头一样，涟漪向外延伸，通常比我们看到的更深。无论是政策，实践还是个人选择，都是如此。就幼儿教育和关怀（ECEC）而言，高度竞争和问责制驱动的全球教育改革运动（GERM）推动了许多有影响力的政策。这些并非没有后果。政策会产生影响并导致变更，其中一些是有意的，而另一些（非）是有意的，其中许多后果令人担忧，而且坦率地说，这是不道德的。正如黛安·拉维奇（Diane Ravitch）指出的那样：“私有化者欢呼破坏，并称其为“创造性”，但这既无创造力，也无益”（2020年：8）。当然，政策制定者和当权者总是以社会可接受和具有吸引力的术语来制定此类政策，有时确实可以将此类政策转化为不同于预期的实践，从而给儿童，教师乃至整个社会带来意想不到的后果。但是，在其他时候，这样的后果是可以预料并受到当权者的欢迎。这些后果通常会保护未被广泛接受的议程，例如以牺牲有需要的家庭和儿童为代价来牟利，或者通过侵蚀民主与平等的理想来塑造一代人。正是这种后果及其议程重复，我们称之为（意外）后果，这是此问题的重点。本期专刊旨在详细探讨真正意想不到的和（意想不到的）后果，全球当前的幼儿政策。必须问谁是