Abstract
Abstract The rationale for this study sprang from the dissatisfaction expressed in many countries during the OECD reviews about the split in services. Because of the split, ministries had ceased to talk with each other: early education had tended to become a junior school and care a question of baby-sitting while mothers worked. In particular, the low qualifications of staff in child care and the suppression of children’s natural learning strategies in kindergarten had become matters of concern. Examples of integrated systems were already available in the Nordic countries to show that such oppositions were not necessary. The integration of early education and childcare is often considered a question of auspices or administration. To the contrary, our analysis shows that to be successful, integrations must go deeper than this. As examples, integration is examined in some countries, in particular, in the forerunners, such as New Zealand and Sweden, and then in some of the newcomers, such as Brazil and Slovenia. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are provided.
Highlights
The complexity of early childhood systems Early 1childhood care and education (ECCE) is a complex policy area
Given their distinct historical roots, ’childcare’ and ‘early education’ services embody different visions of young children and childhood. These understandings are embodied in different programme goals, contents and approaches, often inconsistent with one another. These traditions are expressed in most countries as ‘split systems’ of ECCE
Problems associated with split systems have been documented to some extent: e.g. inefficiency due to duplication and wastage of resources as well as competition and conflicts among the concerned ministries; funding streams and monitoring mechanism; disparities in access and quality due to the differences in entitlement policies, opening hours, regulatory frameworks, staff training and qualification requirements; failure to take a holistic approach to children’s needs; and discontinuities experienced by children transiting from one service to another
Summary
The rationale for this study sprang from the dissatisfaction expressed in many countries during the OECD reviews about the split in services. Ministries had ceased to talk with each other: early education had tended to become a junior school and care a question of baby-sitting while mothers worked. The low qualifications of staff in child care and the suppression of children's natural learning strategies in kindergarten had become matters of concern. Examples of integrated systems were already available in the Nordic countries to show that such oppositions were not necessary. The integration of early education and childcare is often considered a question of auspices or administration. Integration is examined in some countries, in particular, in the forerunners, such as New Zealand and Sweden, and in some of the newcomers, such as Brazil and Slovenia.
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