★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ . * ★ * EDUCATION TRAINING YOUTH Studies No 6 ms Pre-School Education in the European Union Current thinking and provision EUROPEAN COMMISSION This document does not necessarily represent the Commission’s official position. Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1995 ISBN 92-826-8427-X © ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels • Luxembourg, 1995 Reproduction is authorized, except for commercial purposes, provided the source acknowledged. Printed in Belgium FOREWORD There can be little doubt that history will remember the twentieth century for the recognition of the importance of the first years in a child’s development. Work carried out in the field of genetic psychology throughout this century has profoundly changed the traditional view of early childhood: previously essentially a subject of care, for the most part, the young child has become the subject of education. For several years, pre-school education has been a topic of discussions which have dealt not only with the issue of the place of women in society, but also with the role which attendance at institutions with an edupational purpose can play in the development of young children and in their subsequent integration into school. The importance of the issue is recognised by the relevant authorities in all the Member States of the European Union, and measures aimed at the development of this level of education are being taken by most of them. Knowing the extent to which this question is being discussed, the Task Force Human Resources, Education, Training and Youth of the European Commission has had this study of it undertaken. The report provides a synopsis of the scientific information available at present on the beneficial effects of pre-school education. The analysis also deals with the organisational characteristics of those institutions which, according to the results of the research, achieve the most positive results. As a complement to this, the EURYDICE European Unit, with the help of the EURYDICE network, has prepared a detailed description of the present situation as regards educational provision catering for children between the age of 2 years and their entry to compulsory primary education. The second, part of the document presents descriptive reports on the situation in each of the Member States, together with a comparative summary based on the available information. This study demonstrates that there is a need today to move beyond the antagonistic relationship between the family and pre-school education. In fact, a considerable amount of research has shown that the essential question to be examined is how pre-school education centres can complement and support the family’s educational efforts. We hope that this study will receive attention from all those who are concerned with the quality of education for young children. Dr T. O’Dwyer Director General Task Force Human Resources, Education, Training, Youth December 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART I - THE CONTRIBUTION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INTRODUCTION 9 A THE EFFECTS OF ATTENDANCE AT PRE-SCHOOL PROVISION 13 1. Effects on the child’s success at school and development 13 Success at school for children from socially deprived backgrounds 13 Motivation and school behaviour 14 The impact of family support 14 Beneficial effects for all children, regardless of social background 17 The advantages of a long period of pre-school education 18 Overall confirmation of the effects in other contexts 21 Conclusions 22 2. Effects on social integration and success in later life 23 Reduction in delinquency rates 23 Pregnancy and drop-out rates 23 Social responsibility and success in employment 24 Conclusions 25 B FACILITIES AND CONDITIONS IN PRE-SCHOOL PROVISION 27 1. Group size and staffing ratios 27 Effects on verbal interactions and educational activities 27 Conclusions 28 2. The quality of educational activities 28 The programme or model for educational action 28 Organisation of activities and management of groups 30 Conclusions 32 3. The educational team: The role of training and the importance of stability 33 The effects on social and language development 33 Conclusions 34 Page 4. Involvement of the family in educational activities 35 Family-centred intervention projects 36 Conclusions 37 C CONCLUSIONS 39 Bibliography 43 Acknowledgements 47 \ PART II - EARLY YEARS PROVISION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEMS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 49 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 51 1. Historical overview 51 2. A wide range of institutions 53 3. Attendance rates 55 4. Training of teachers 57 5. Staffing ratios 58 6. Opening hours 59 7. Objectives and programmes of activities 60 Belgium 63 Denmark 69 Germany .77 Greece 85 Spain 91 France 97 Ireland 105 Italy 115 Luxembourg 121 Netherlands 127 Portugal 133 United Kingdom 139 Acknowledgements and list of Units in the EURYDICE Network 151 * * * PART I THE CONTRIBUTION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INTRODUCTION Pre-school education is the subject of lively debate at the present time, bringing into play two current issues in particular - the role of women in society and the view of what is considered desirable in the area of the education of young children. The last three decades will undoubtedly go down in history as a period in which there was a strong social movement towards equality for women and men. In our industrialised societies, there are increasing signs that the roles of men and women are becoming more complementary and interchangeable. Social models have changed greatly. Nowadays, women are expected to combine family life harmoniously with work outside the home. It would, however, be wrong to consider this change as the only explanation for the increase in the demand for pre-school education. A survey carried out by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) on pre-school education throughout the world (Crahay, 1989)'shows that the situation is much more complex. In Hong Kong, Belgium, Italy and Spain, the percentage of mothers who work is lower - and in some cases much lower - than attendance rates at pre-school education and childcare centres outside the family. On the other hand, the percentage of working mothers is higher than such attendance rates in other countries, and in particular in China, Thailand and Portugal. The United States is an intermediate case: the percentage of working mothers is higher there than the attendance rate at pre-school education centres, but lower than the rate for childcare outside the family. Of even greater significance still is the fact that, when questioned about the reasons which led them to place their child in a pre-school education centre, some mothers stressed its importance for the child’s psychological development, while others gave childcare problems or their work as the first reason. The following table indicates, for each country, the percentage of each type of reply. Countries Child’s psychological Care problems Other reasons benefit Hong Kong 100 0 0 Belgium 75 24 1 Italy 76 23 1 Spain 64 36 0 China - - _ USA 44 49 7 Finland 19 80 1.2 Nigeria 28 67 4.6 Portugal 29 57 14.2 Thailand 20 80 0.4 The facts are clear. In countries with high rates of attendance at pre-school education centres, the percentage of mothers who mention the educational value of these childcare facilities is high. Conversely, in countries with low attendance rates at pre-school education centres, mothers who avail themselves of these facilities place greater emphasis on their childcare 9 problems. The situation therefore varies from one country to another. To summarise, it can be stated that, in some countries, mothers believe in the educational value of pre-school education centres. Demand in such countries for good quality childcare facilities is high. A sign of the importance these mothers attach to pre-school education centres is the fact that a significant number of mothers at home place their children in such centres for part of the day. On the other hand, in other countries, confidence in pre-school education centres is lower and when, because of their work, mothers are obliged to use the centres for their children, they refer to their childcare problems, thereby suggesting that if they could avoid using them, they would. It is also important to note that in several Western countries (France and Belgium, especially), it is the socio-economically advantaged families in particular who choose to send their children to a pre-school education centre from a very early age. It is clear therefore that the debate on pre-school education involves considerations about the role of women in society and opinions oh the desirability of pre-school education. There is no doubt that all specialists are convinced of the importance of the first years of life for the individual’s psychological development. The works of Piaget, Bloom and McV. Hunt frequently stress the fact that the cognitive development of children depends on the quality of the stimulation provided during early infancy. It would however be an exaggeration still to say that all is determined before the age of six. We know today that the situation is much more complex. American research into pre-school education aimed at compensating socio­ cultural handicaps (see the compensatory education movement) shows that the effect of pre­ school education must be seen in a new light. According to Suzanne Gray (1974), we have for too long tended to believe that attendance at a pre-school education centre could immunise . children against everything that might go against them during primary or secondary education. In short, up to the end of the 1980s, there was a tendency, according to this author, to believe that pre-school education was like a vaccination which, once administered to the child, could enable him to overcome all subsequent education problems.