Early Childhood Education and Care System in Finland

Jenni Salminen

doi:10.18778/2450-4491.05.09

Authors

Jenni Salminen Department of Education, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2450-4491.05.09

Keywords:

Early Childhood Education and Care, Education system, Curriculum, Pedagogy

Abstract

In Finland, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) includes day care arrangements offered to families (care) along with goal-oriented early childhood education (early education and teaching) provided for children prior to transitioning to primary education. ECEC is therefore seen to build a coherent starting phase within the continuum of lifelong learning. ECEC follows the “educare” principle, which emphasizes the simultaneous consideration for children’s education, teaching, and care as the foundation of pedagogical activity, which is at the same time strongly rooted in the idea of learning and development as a holistic experience. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the Finnish ECEC system, introduce its societal, organizational and curricular preconditions and discuss the current tensions and challenges faced.

Author Biography

Jenni Salminen, Department of Education, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Ph.D., works at the Department of Education, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Her research foci include teachers’ pedagogical practices and teacher-child interactions in ECEC classrooms and their associations to children’s early learning and development. She is currently involved in a post-doctoral research project (2018–2021) funded by the Academy of Finland.

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