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Implementing a National Curriculum in Swedish Preschools

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International Policy and Best Practice Presentation

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First Essay Draft

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Laura's Annotated Bibliography

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Annotated Bibliography - International Policy & Best Practice Assignment (Part 1)

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Annotated Bibliography - International Policy and Best Practice C049

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Making Connections. Early Childhood Education in Sweden

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In conversations, I was struck by the substantial commitment Sweden has made to ensure all young children in that country have access to high-quality early learning.

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British policymakers frequently cite Sweden as a good example of childcare provision, so what do the two countries do differently?

Childcare options

The British pre-school options for parents consist of day nurseries, toddler groups and pre-schools. In addition there are crèches (for children up to eight years old), or childminders and nannies (for children up to 12 years old). Parents also have the option of sending their child to playgroups or out-of-school clubs after they have started school. All childcare has to be registered and inspected by Ofsted.

Childcare in Sweden is organised in a similar way with pre-schools (day nurseries), family daycare homes (run by municipal childminders), open pre-schools and leisure time centres (equivalent to out-of-school clubs). All pre-school establishments also have to be assessed by the government and meet certain standards.

However, while most pre-school childcare is provided by the private sector in the UK, Swedish nurseries are financed partly by central government grants, partly by tax revenue and partly by parental fees. Community and council nurseries do exist in the UK but they are not as commonplace as private nurseries.

Free early learning

Four and five-year-olds in Sweden are offered at least three free hours a day during school term. Sweden also has a maximum fee policy which states parents should only have to spend between 1% and 3% of the family's income on childcare, depending on how many children they have.

The UK government offers three and four-year-olds 12.5 hours of free early learning a week; this should apply to all forms of childcare for at least 38 weeks of the year, but there is no guarantee of getting a place with a particular provider.

Childcare fees

Sweden's maximum fee policy means everyone has affordable childcare. Parents do not have to rely on other welfare benefits to the same extent to cope with pre-school costs. The maximum rate is limited to 1,260 SEK (around £102) a month for the family's first child (based on full-time care). Usually a family pays less for their second and third child - around 0.25% or 1% of the family's income.

There is no such thing as a maximum fee policy in Britain. Those with children under three may have to dig deep to pay for care. According to a recent survey by childcare charity the Daycare Trust, the cost of a nursery place for a two-year-old has increased more than twice the rate of inflation in England. Nurseries are more expensive than childminders, and a typical nursery place for a child under two is now £8,268 a year in England, £7,384 in Wales and £7,332 in Scotland.

Help with costs

The UK government provides means-tested funding to help families. Claims of up to 80% of childcare costs can be made through the UK working tax credit. There are also job grants for those who have been unemployed and are returning to work, or child maintenance premium for those receiving income support or jobseekers' allowance. In addition there is a tax-efficient employer-supported childcare system, which is worth up to £1,066 a year.

Britain also has the New Deal for Lone Parents to support unemployed people with affordable childcare while they work towards getting off benefits. New welfare reforms, due to come into force in October, state that income support will no longer be available solely on the grounds of being a lone parent.

The paradox that parents are faced with is that although help to get a job should increase equal opportunities, it is also a worry since out-of-school fees have escalated as well. The Daycare Trust reports they have risen by more than six times the inflation rate, with typical costs of £43 for 15 hours a week.

The workforce

Mother-of-two Ditte O'Connor is Swedish but has lived in the UK for several years. Her eldest son, Kai, was born in London. He started with a childminder when he was seven months old and is now at nursery in Sweden.

"In the UK I only ever saw up to three children per adult in nurseries for children under three, whereas in Sweden the groups are larger with fewer adults. On the other hand there is a larger mix of ages, which is not a bad thing," says O'Connor.

There are also more men working in childcare in Sweden than O'Connor has seen in the UK. "I think this makes a big difference because activities do vary slightly where there are more male carers. There is a different atmosphere and it's great to have a good gender balance for the children in general," she says.

The Swedish workforce in childcare is made up of almost 5% of men in pre-schools and nurseries. In the UK the proportion of male nursery staff has stayed at 1% for over 10 years.

Reading and writing

Ninni Olofsdotter Schulman is Swedish and lives in Stockholm. She has two children, Signe and Sven. Sven started nursery when he was one, spending three days a week there for the first six months, while Signe stayed at home for 18 months.

"I did a lot of reading and writing at home with my kids," says Olofsdotter Schulman. "Signe can read and Sven knows all the letters in the alphabet. I don't think their knowledge came entirely from their time at nursery. In a way I think Swedish pre-schools could be a bit more educational, in a playful way of course."

Outdoor play and social interaction

David Brown is English but lives in Sweden with his family. He is sceptical about early years education in the UK.

"I believe there is too much pressure on children in the UK too early on. I think guidance is more than enough," says Brown.

He also points out that outdoor activity is part of the key structure in Swedish pre-schools. Sweden has vast outdoor spaces but green parks and other child-friendly public areas are limited in big cities in the UK.

"My kids play outdoors all the time and the nursery takes them out on forest excursions and visits to the park on a regular basis. Sweden definitely focuses more on interpersonal skills than the UK does," he says.

Although the British pre-school curriculum acknowledges the use of learning through play, it also emphasises goals and assessing the child's progress. The Swedish system is more concerned with guidelines and basic values such as care and consideration towards others, solidarity, gender equality and tolerance, none of which can be measured on an academic level.

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What can British childcare policymakers learn from Sweden?

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British policymakers frequently cite Sweden as a good example of childcare provision, so what do the two countries do differently? The British pre-school options for parents consist of day nurseries, toddler groups and pre-schools. In addition there are crèches (for children up to eight years old), or childminders and nannies (for children up to 12 years old).

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Annotated Bibliography Articles chosen - Laura

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Annotated Bibliography Articles chosen - Laura

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- Play: The Swedish Way
- Early childhood Care and Education     in Sweden
- Making connections Early   Childhood Education in Sweden

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-Quality matters in early childhood educationa and care

-Curriculum of Preschool Education Swedish Approach

>-The Coronavirus Pandemic and Lessons Learned in Preschools in Norway, Sweden and the United States: OMEP Policy Forum

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Annotated Bibliography Articles Chosen - Ciara 

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Annotated Bibliography Articles Chosen - Ciara 

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-SWEDEN Key Contextual Data

-Play and learning in early childhood education in Sweden

-A Nordic Perspective

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Curriculum of Preschool Education Swedish Approach

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Introduction

The Swedish Parliament ( riksdagen) and Government ( regeringen) set out the goals and guidelines for the preschool (förskolan), preschool class (förskoleklassen), leisure-time centres (fritidshem) and compulsory school (grundskolan) through the Education Act and the Curricula. The preschool, preschool class, leisure-time centre and compuslory school are all regulated in the Education Act (Skollagen SFS 2010:800). The preschool has its own curriculum while the preschool class and leisure-time centre are included in the curriculum for the compulsory school, see the sections below for each type of ECEC. The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) is the central administrative authority for the publicly organised preschools and school age childcare. The mission of the agency is to actively work for the attainment of the goals. The municipalities () and the grant-aided independent schools (fristående skolor) are the principal organisers in the school system, they allocate resources and organise activities so that pupils can attain the national goals of education. The Swedish National Agency for Education supervises, supports, follows up and evaluates the school system in order to improve quality and outcomes. For statistics on ECEC, see chapter 2.8 Statistics on Organisation and Governance.

Early childhood education and care can with slight variations be divided into two age groups targeting children between the age 1-5 and 6-12.

Preschool

The preschool is a form of early childhood education and care in for children aged between 1-5 years who have not yet entered into the mandatory preschool class. Municipalities are required by the Education Act to provide preschool activities and childcare to all children that live in Sweden and are not enrolled in a preschool class or compulsory education. Generally children should be offered a spot in preschool from the age of 1. Children have the right to attend preschool to the extent necessary for their parents to be able to work or study or based on the child's own needs. This requirement includes preschool for children whose parents are unemployed or on parental leave with another sibling. These children should be offered a place in preschool for at least three hours per day or 15 hours per week. All children are entitled to free preschool for at least 525 hours per year from the autumn term when they turn three years old.

In 2019, 85.4 percent of children aged 1-5 years attended preschool. The percentage is lower in larger cities and higher in smaller cities. The distribution between boys and girls is generally equal. The proportion of enrolled children has increased to some extent in all age groups. 50.5 percent of one-year-olds attended preschool, 90.6 and 94.0 percent respectively of two- and three-year-olds and 95.3 percent of all four- and five-year-olds.

Sweden's maximum fee policy makes childcare affordable. Fees are calculated according to income with low-income families paying nothing while the cost is capped for all families. The upper income limit is 49 280 SEK (approximately 4800 Euro)/month in 2020. For more information on fees within ECEC, see chapter 4.1 Access.

Grant-aided independent schools and preschools can be organised in different forms. The municipalities distribute grants to grant-aided independent preschools and they are also responsible for ensuring that the operations meet the requirements of quality and safety. The same laws and frameworks apply to grant-aided independent preschools and municipal preschools. For more information on grant-aided independent education providers, see chapter 2.4 Organisation of Private Education.

The open preschool is an alternative option to the preschool. The open preschool is mainly for stay at home parents and their children. The parents together with the staff have the opportunity to develop educational group activities for the childrens' development. The children are not enrolled in the open preschool and the attendance together with parents is volountary. For more information on alternative structures within ECEC, see chapter 4.5 Organisational Variations and Alternative Structures in ECEC.

Preschool class

Starting from the autumn of 2018 the preschool class is mandatory for all children living in Sweden from the age of six. The compulsory school and the preschool class, as well as the leisure-time centre, share a common curriculum, the curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and the leisure-time centre (Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet 2011). In 2016 a specific section was added to the curriculum covering the objectives and core content of the preschool class.

The activities in preschool classes should be considered as teaching in the same sense as in other types of education. The education in preschool class will encourage each child's learning and development at the same time as providing a foundation for continued schooling. It is mandatory for municipalities to provide preschool classes and for all six-year-olds to be offered a place for a minimum of 525 hours. It is the school head that decides how to distribute these hours over the school year. There are no regulations regarding how many days a week a pupil should attend the preschool class. The mandatory activity may however cover no more than 190 days per academic year and six hours per day. It is important to structure the education so that the children have sufficient opportunities to rest and play, based on their age and needs. The best interests of the child should always be the starting point when the activities in preschool classes are organised.

In the school year 2019/2020 almost 98 percent of all children aged six were enrolled in a preschool class. Over 10 percent of pupils attend grant-aided independently organised preschool class. The proportion of pupils attending independent facilities varies between municipalities and was highest in major cities and metropolitan municipalities.

According to the Education Act (Skollagen SFS 2010:800) and Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and the leisure-time centre (Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet 2011), the preschool class should contribute to develop students with a mother tongue other than Swedish abilities to communicate in Swedish as well as in their mother tongue. In the preschool class, there were almost 31 900 pupils with a native language other than Swedish in 2019/20, this is approximately 26 percent of the pupils. The number of pupils with a mother tongue other than Swedish has increased during the recent school years (in 2012/13 it was 21 067 or 19.6 percent).

The leisure-time centre

Leisure-time centres are educational group facilities, operating during the times of the day and year when schools are closed for enrolled children whose parents are working or studying or for children who are in need of the facilities. Generally leisure -time centres are integrated within schools. Leisure-time centres are aimed at children from the age of 6 up to 12 years-old that attend preschool class or compulsory school. The leisure-time center should stimulate the pupils' development, deepen their knowledge and experience and contribute to a meaningful leisure time and social community. The education should take into account the pupils' needs, interests and experiences and should also be adapted to their different conditions. In the leisure-time centre pupils have the opportunity to practice democracy, influence and responsibility. Play, movement and creative activities are important. The groups should have an appropriate composition and size and provide the students with a good environment. The leisure-time center collaborates with the preschool, preschool class and school to support the pupils long-term development. The leisure-time center is governed by the the Education Act (Skollagen SFS 2010:800) and the curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and the leisure-time centre (Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet 2011). In 2016 a specific section was added to the curriculum covering the objectives and core content of the leisure-time centre.

Municipalities may charge a fee for the leisure-time centre. It is the municipality that determines how much a spot in the leisure-time centre will cost. All municipalities use the system of upper capped limits for the fee. The upper limit determines how much a spot in a leisure-time centre can cost for different families. For more information on fees within ECEC, see chapter 4.1 Access.

Organisational Variations and Alternative Structures in Early Childhood Education and Care

In Sweden the alternative structures in early childhood education and care within the formal system primarly encompasses four types of care and activities for children up to the age of 12. These activities go under the name- Other pedagogical activities.

Pedagogical care (pedagogisk omsorg) in family daycare homes (familjedaghem) is run by registered childminders in their own homes, looking after children aged one to twelve while their parents work or study.

The Open preschool (öppen förskola) is for stay at home parents and their children. The parents together with the staff have the opportunity to develop educational group activities for the children. The children are not enrolled.

Open leisure-time activities (öppen fritidsverksamhet) is an alternative to leisure-time centres and educational activities for all children in the age group 10-12 years. The children are not enrolled and the families decide when and how often the children attend.

Care at uncomfortable times. According to the Education Act (Skollagen) the municipality should offer care for children during the times that preschool or leisure-time centres isn't offered and it should be offered to the extent that is needed based on the parents work and the family situation in general.

For more information about alternative structures within ECEC, see chapters 4.4 Home-based ECEC and 4.5 Organisational Variations and Alternative Structures in ECEC.

Providers

Alongside the municipal preschools and schools there are grant-aided independent preschools and schools. Grant-aided independent preschools and schools have a different principal organiser than the municipality or county council. For more information about grant-aided independent preschools and schools see chapter 2.4 Organisation of private education. Independently organised and grant aided childcare is more common in bigger cities and their suburbs. The table below shows the different kinds of institutions in early childhood education and care. It also shows how many of them that are independently organised (the statistics are from 2019 or the school year 2019/20).

The Swedish National Agency for Education ( Skolverket)

Curriculum for the preschool ( Läroplan för förskolan Lpfö 18) ( English translation)

Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and the leisure-time centre, 2011 ( Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet 2011)

The Education Act ( Skollagen SFS 2010:800)

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Early Childhood Education and Care - Eurydice - European Commission

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The Swedish Parliament ( riksdagen) and Government ( regeringen) set out the goals and guidelines for the preschool (förskolan ), preschool class (förskoleklassen ), leisure-time centres (fritidshem ) and compulsory school (grundskolan ) through the Education Act and the Curricula. The preschool, preschool class, leisure-time centre and compuslory school are all regulated in the Education Act (Skollagen SFS 2010:800 ).

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Making Connections. Early Childhood Education in Sweden

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In conversations, I was struck by the substantial commitment Sweden has made to ensure all young children in that country have access to high-quality early learning.

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A comparative study of special educator preparation in Norway and Sweden

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Preschool practices in Sweden, Portugal, and the United States

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The Origins of Early Childhood Education and Care Policies in France, Sweden and Germany

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StudentTeachersWorkplace-Based Learning in Sweden on Early Childhood Education for Sustainability

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Early Childhood Curricula in Sweden from the 1850's to the Present

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Quality Matters in Early Childhood Education and Care

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Play and Learning in Early Childhood Education in Sweden