Play and Learning in Swedish Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Sweden is a growing nation with a diverse population of 9 million inhabitants. Contemporary Swedish society is made up of people from many different continents and ethnic backgrounds. Every fifth child has at least one parent of non-Swedish origin. In the largest cities, about one third of the population are immigrants. For most of the last 60 years, Sweden has been governed by a Social Democratic government, which has taken responsibility for the next generation by introducing reforms such as child allowance, maternity leave, and access to preschool for all children. An Act of Parliament in 2003 gave each child the right to participate in preschool activities from the age of four, even if their parents were out of work or on maternity leave. The Maximum Fee Reform gives parents the right to have the child in preschool for a maximum fee (not more than 3% of the family’s total income, the remaining costs are financed by the state and the municipality), and a “ceiling” was set for the cost of first, second and third child, etc., per month. The aim of this reform is equality between children and between communities. An extended parental leave policy makes it possible for all children to spend their first year of life at home with their families. Parental leave is to be shared between the parents and gives them almost full salary compensation for 450 days (Skolverket, 2003a, b). The various reforms of the past few decades have prepared the way for integrating preschool into the Swedish educational system and producing a national curriculum for children ranging in age from 1 to 5 years (Ministry of Education and Science in Sweden, 1998a). In Sweden, early childhood education has never been just a question of child-minding. Even for the youngest children, there have always been pedagogical intentions, and these have been strengthened by the preschool curriculum, especially as the national curriculum for preschool is linked to the curriculum for compulsory school (Ministry of Education and Science in Sweden, 1998b). The aims are that the curricula should express a common view