Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe: Tackling Social and Cultural Inequalities

On 16 February 2009, the European Commission presented a new study on early childhood education and care in Europe, and on what measures are taken to favor participation of the most disadvantaged social groups. Examining national policies in 30 countries, the study explores how early childhood education and care is organized in Europe, what the benefits of the different systems are, and what is needed to provide effective education and care to the youngest.

The study, which was produced by the Eurydice network on education in Europe, is part of the follow-up to the 2006 Commission Communication on Equity and Efficiency in European Education and Training Systems. The study covers the Member States and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Key finding: 87 % of 4 year olds attend an educational institution in Europe
The European Commission has recently suggested a new target for Europe, whereby 90% of 4 year olds should participate in pre-primary education by 2020. In 2006, on average, 87% at this age were already involved in some form of preprimary education. All countries in Europe offer some form of early programs for children before the start of compulsory schooling, yet major differences exist between countries or even regions, in terms of starting age, participation rates and the type of education and care available.

The current state of play: a choice between two main models
Two main organizational models for early childhood education and care services are apparent in Europe:

• A single structure for all children of pre-school age (unitary setting). Educational staff have the same qualifications and salary scales regardless of the age of children in their care. This is the case in Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden.
• A separate provision according to age-group for children aged 0 to 3 years and 3 to 6 years (generally). Staff qualifications, quality requirements and funding differ between those two levels. This is the most widespread model in Europe.

In a few countries, both models co-exist (Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Lithuania, and Spain). The United Kingdom is currently implementing some unitary provisions for pre-school children as well.

Policies for disadvantaged children: access and quality for all?
The combination of several social, cultural and economic factors may create a serious risk of educational failure for children. However, poverty has the strongest impact. Nearly one in six European households with a child under the age of six lives on the poverty threshold. This is of special concern in Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

High-quality pre-school education brings major benefits: it provides all children with a good basis for lifelong learning and it helps to close the educational gap for children at risk. Yet ethnic minority children who belong to underprivileged families as well as children of single-parent families appear to participate least in early childhood education and care.

Ensuring high quality standards and adequate funding
The most important elements to ensure high-standard care and education comprise:

• A favorable child/adult ratio
• High-level training for educational staff (tertiary education)
• Parental involvement

Funding is generally provided by local authorities, parental contributions and a central contribution with significant variations between countries. Apart from countries which have implemented a universal right to early childhood education and care (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Spain and Slovenia), there is a significant shortfall in capacity for the youngest children in Europe. Therefore, in most countries covered by the study, guaranteeing a place for all children and ensuring high quality childcare provisions would require significant additional funding from public authorities. Nevertheless, the evidence shows that this is the most effective point to invest limited resources if the goal is to achieve equitable and efficient education systems.

To review a PDF of the report, click here.