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Integration of Education and Care in ECEC

Integration of Education and Care in ECEC Integration at the System Level/ Finland as Example OECD Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Network 7 December 2009 Tarja Kahiluoto Ministerial Adviser Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. 2.Child care and early education alternatives.

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Integration of Education and Care in ECEC

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  1. Integration of Education and Care in ECEC Integration at the System Level/ Finland as ExampleOECDEarly Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Network7 December 2009Tarja KahiluotoMinisterial Adviser Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

  2. 2.Child care and early education alternatives After Parental Leave Parents choose Care leave &home care allowance Private careallowance Municipal day care Morning and afternoon activities for school children Pre-school for 6-year-old children

  3. 3. Aspects of Integration in Finland • Policy Goals • Administration • Legal Framework • Delivery of services; access, age 0-6, forms of services, ratios, qualifications, fees • Curriculum • Funding • integration in all aspects

  4. 4. Brief History of ECEC in Finland • Kindergartens already from 1860´s; early education at focus • Also creches from 1860; care at focus; for low income families/single mothers who had to work • EDUCARE ideology; socio-pedagogical kindergartens with Fröbel´s methods of upbringing from 1880´s • At the system level the Day Care Act from 1973 integrated the different forms of kindergarten and creches as day care • Day care could be organised in day care centres or as family day care • The Day Care Act obligated the municipalities to provide day care in accordance with local needs. • Early education and care for all in need • Women´s participation in the labour market as main force

  5. 5. Focal points in the development • 1973 the Day Care Act • 1990 the right for day care for all children under 3 • 1996 the right for all children under school age • universal services • 2000 Pre-School reform – • pre-school education free off charge for 6-year-old children • From 2001 August every municipality had to offer pre-school education for 6-year-old children, 700 hours/year • 2004Morning and afternoon activities for school children • targeted to children at 1-2 grades and all children with special needs

  6. 6. Policy goals of ECEC services • Social policy • equal opportunities for all children • equal opportunities for women and men • early prevention • Employment policy • both parents work, most full-time; need for good-quality services • Educational policy • early education of all children All these tasks are present and relevant; during years the stress has differed between these policy goals

  7. 7. Goal of ECEC in Finland • An integrated system: care + education • To provide day care • To offer goal-oriented early childhood education for children • 0 – 6- year- old - children • Photo Päivi Lindberg

  8. 8. ECEC Administration and Steering Parliament Council of State Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Ministry of Education National Institute for Health and Welfare National Board of Education Core Curriculum for Pre-School Education Principles in Pupils´Morning and AfternoonActivities National Curriculum Guidelines on ECEC State Provincial Offices Municipality Board on Social Affaires Board on Education Affaires etc. Services Day Care, Pre-School, School, Open ECEC Services etc.

  9. 9. Decentralised style of regulation • Reforming the steering policy in the early 1990s has decreased Government steering by norms and increased the autonomy of the municipalities • Change from steering by norms to steering by information • Municipalities are responsible for the implementation of the services in their own localities • 332 municipalities in continental Finland in 2009 • Child day care is however, steered by a number of acts and decrees, eg. - Access to day care is an universal right; regulations on educational goals, staff-child ratio, staff qualifications and client fees in day care, • Also pre-school education is regulated - Access to pre-school education for 6-year-old children is a right; regulations on staff qualification, recommendation on maximum group size, no client fees

  10. 10. Curriculum Process • First national steering document for ECEC from 1980 – educational goals added to the Day Care Act • Planning documents for early education and pre-school education from the 1990´s • Big curriculum reform started as a result of the Pre-School reform • National Core Curriculum for Pre-school Education 2000 • Pressure to develop and define the pedagogy of younger children • Government Resolution Concerning the National Policy Definition on Early Childhood Education and Care 2002 • National Curriculum Guidelines on ECEC in Finland 2003, revised 2005

  11. 11. National Curriculum Guidelines on ECEC in Finland • Based on National Policy Definitions, 2002 : ’A national plan is needed for steering the content and quality of ECEC’ • Made by National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health in an open dialogue • Introduced 2003, reviewed 2005 • Framework curriculum • Lays down the objectives and principles for ECEC • Aims to promote the provision of ECEC on equal terms throughout the country • A recommendation for municipalities • Provides the basis for - municipal and unit based curriculum and individual plans

  12. 12. National Curriculum Guidelines on ECEC • Well-being of the child at focus • Pedagogy: care, education and teaching integrated as a whole • What is meaningful and characteristic for children • The team of educators – multi-professional communities • Process aims: Goals to the work of educators and the environment • Content orientations - no performance requirements for children • ECEC partnership: participation and empowerment of families • Inclusive perspective to special needs • Appreciation of different language and cultural backgrounds • Continuity between ECEC and school

  13. 13. National Core Curriculum for Pre-school Education • to improve children's learning conditions • to smooth out individual differences in children's readiness to start school • To learn through play • Child-centered approach: guiding education • Core themes: language and interaction, mathematics, ethics and philosophy, environmental and natural studies, health, physical and motor development, art and culture • Socio-constructivist learning conception – the active role of the child and child participation is important

  14. 14. Funding ECEC services, 2008 • State subsidies for day care services, about 33 % of costs • State subsidy for pre-school education 42 % of costs • Local tax revenues and • Client fees, about 14 % of day care costs • One day care place/ child/ year = about 10 000 € • Pre-school education / child / year about 5 200 € • Total expenditure for day care for 0-6-year-old children and pre-school education for 6-year-old children is about 1,1 % of GDP

  15. 15. Staff Qualifications in Day care Centres • At least a vocational qualification in the field of social welfare and health care is required • One in three of the staff must have a higher education level degree (Bachelor of Education, Master of Education or Bachelor of Social Services) Photo Päivi Lindberg

  16. 16. Staff Qualifications in Family Day care • The family child minder is required to have a suitable education • Qualification for Family Child Minders, from 2000 • This competence based vocational qualification is recommended • Exception: in group family day care with 3 child minders one minder shall have a suitable vocational qualification.

  17. 17. Staff Qualifications in Pre-School • -Kindergarten teachers with university qualifications (lower university dergrees, bachelor of Education, • -Pre-primary school teachers with a higher university degree, about 5 years,

  18. 18. Adult-child ratios Day care centres • one to seven for children 3-6 years (full-time) • one to thirteen for children 3-6 years (part-time) • one to four for children under 3 years (full/part time) Family day care • one to four, including minders own children • one part time pre-school or school-aged child • In pre-school education maximum group-size 20 recommendation

  19. 19. Client Fees in Day Care • Fees are based on the size and income of the family • Maximum fee 233 €/ child/month • Maximum fee for the second child 210 €/month • For each additional child 46,6 €/month • Free off charge for low income families • Client fees cover about 14 % of day care costs • All necessary meals are included

  20. Children in Municipal and Private Day Care, 2008, % of children

  21. Parenthood Other allowance 10,4 % 12,6 % Municipal family daycare 12,4 % Child home care allowance 23,9% Private daycare Municipal allowance daycare centre 4,3 % 36,4 % Care arrangements of children, 2008Children under 7

  22. Other 4,1 % Municipal family daycare Parenthood 10,9 % allowance 29,0 % Municipal daycare centre 15,0 % Private daycare allowance 2,5 % Child home care allowance 38,6 % Care arrangements of children, 2008Children under 3

  23. Child home care Other allowance 15,2 % 12,6 % Private daycare allowance 5,7 % Municipal family daycare 13,5 % Municipal daycare centre 53,0 % Care arrangements of children, 2008Children under 3-6

  24. Trends in children´s day care places 1970 - 2008

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