Preschool education in Sweden and the connection between pre-schooling, school-age childcare and compulsory school in the light of life-long-learning

03 December 2008 to 05 December 2008
Stockholm, Sweden

Peer Learning Cluster or other group

Access and Social Inclusion

Background

The sixth Peer Learning Activity of the Cluster on Access and Social Inclusion was hosted by the Swedish Education and Research Ministry and the National Agency for Education (Skolverket).

 

The focus of the PLA was on preschool in Sweden and the connection between pre-schooling, school-age childcare and compulsory school in the light of life-long learning. Several studies (e.g. the UNICEF Innocenti report) have pointed at Sweden as having one of the early childhood education and care systems of highest quality in the world, with a firmly established educational character. Sweden has also a well developed after-school childcare system for children in school-age.

 

Description

  • The PLA consisted of a mixture of policy briefings, site visits, and reflection and discussion. Participants were able to draw lessons both of a general character and in relation to their own national systems.

Some key lessons learnt:

 

Cluster members learnt in relation to the following areas: 
  • A sensible overall policy context for preschool education (e.g. the importance of investment in preschool; the relevance of unitary settings for the 1 to 5 or 6 year olds; the importance of preparing transition to formal schooling; or the role of inspection to improve pedagogic practice);
  • A sensible content and organisation for preschool education (e.g. the integration of education and care; the importance of staff qualifications; the guidance role that a curriculum can have; the emphasis on social competences; or how to approach language development for children with a migrant background);
  • A sensible after-school childcare policy (e.g. the need for after-school childcare to form a coherent pedagogic project with formal schooling, as well as its especial importance for children of a disadvantaged background).
Cluster members also noted that, given the right conditions, it is possible to build an education system that provides high quality education for all, irrespective of the fact that urban (and school) segregation around socioeconomic lines still happens.
 
 
 
Knowledge System for Lifelong Learning