Early Childhood Education and Basic Education

20171

Photo: Tampereen kaupunki / Atacan Ergin, CC-BY-NC

Finland in Brief

• Celebrates 100 years of independence (6.12.2017) • Population 5.5 million (18 inhabitants / sq. km) • Life expectancy 81 years • Two official languages: Finnish and Swedish • Foreigners: 5 % of the population • Education level of the working age population:

• 13 % basic education • 45 % upper secondary education • 42 % tertiary education

20172

Tampere in Brief• Founded on 1 October 1779 by King Gustav III of Sweden

• Tampere is located on the banks of Tammerkoski rapids, between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi

• The third biggest city in Finland (228.000)

• The biggest inland city in the Nordic countries

• One of the three most rapidly growing regions in Finland • Centre of know-how intensive entrepreneurial

activities

• Educational and cultural city

• Leading city in industry and a centre of information society

Photo: Tampereen kaupunki / Susanna Lyly, CC-BY-NC

20173

20174

Administration of Education and Learning Services in Tampere

20175

Welfare Services

20176

Regional Operation

Early Childhood

Education and Basic

Education Services

Director Kristiina Järvelä

Northeast District Principal Ville Raatikainen Service Manager

Pia Mikkola

West District Principal Petri Peltonen

Service Manager Kirsi Lahtinen

Southeast District Principal Ville Raatikainen Service Manager

Ulla Siltanen

South District Principal Ville Raatikainen Service Manager

Tanja Moisala

Centre District Principal

Petri Peltonen Service Manager

Hanna Hjelt (Paula

Vänninmaja)

Human Resources HR Manager Riitta Hannelius

Finance Financial Manager Jaana Hartman

Pedagogical Planning Early Childhood Education and Teaching Manager Tuija Viitasaari

Customer Services Customer Service Manager Elli Rasimus

Projects and Developmental Services Development Manager Harri Jurvela

Organization of Early Childhood Education and Basic Education in Tampere

Tampere Early Education and Pre-primary Services

Budget for 2017: 127 million euros

Personnel: appr. 1700

Children: appr. 9850

Units : appr. 90

Day care directors: 43

20177

• Operative costs in early childhood education 8982€ /child / year

• Operative cost in basic education 9114€ / pupil / year

• Total budget: Early childhood and basic education in Tampere ( 2017) 260 M€

8

Expenditure in Education in Tampere

2017

• Most education is publicly funded and most of the private institutions do not differ from those that are publicly maintained. They follow the national core curricula and qualification requirements.

• Pre-primary and basic education is part of the municipal basic services that receive statutory government transfers (approximately a third of the calculatory costs).

20179

Funding

Day Care Fees

• Client fees cover about 15 percent of the total day care costs.

• The day care fees are based on family size and income level.

• The highest fee for whole-day care is 290€/month. For low income families day care is free.

201710

201711

How family gross income affect to day care fees 2 parents, 2 children

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

250

275

300

2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000

Day care fee youngest child / Gross income of family Day care fee older child / Gross income of family

Early childhood education and care (ECEC)

SUBJECTIVE RIGHT TO ECEC

10-11 months

3 years

6 years

7 years

BASIC EDUCATION

Maternity leave & allowance

Home care leave & allowance

Day Care Centres Family day care Open ECEC services

PRE- PRIMARY EDUCATION

Private care allowance

Maternity grant

Child benefit (0-17 years)

Parental leave & allowance

Paternity leave & allowance

Maternity and Child health clinics9 visits during first

year1 - 6 years: annual visits

Maternity package

Support to well-being & learning

Maternity &child

health clinics

Early childhood education and care

201715

Source: Finnish National Agency for Education, Finnish Education in a Nutshell

Early Childhood Education and Care

201716

Finnish Early Childhood and Basic Education System

0-6-year-oldsEarly

childhood education and

care (voluntary)

6-7-year-olds Pre-primary education

(compulsary)

7-16-year-olds Basic

education (compulsary)

201717

Underlying educational understanding is based on equity

Everyone has the right to basic education free of charge. The public authorities shall guarantee for everyone equal opportunity to receive other educational services in accordance with their ability and special needs, as well as the opportunity to develop themselves without being prevented by economic hardship. (Constitution of Finland)

Specificities of the Finnish education system

P u b l i c f u n d i n g L o c a l d e c i s i o n s Decentralised

Free education

Co-operation Trust

Evolution Central steering

Education a priority

Flexible grouping

Annual instruction time low Focus on learning rather than testing

Focus on support Non-selective

Basic education starts at age 7

Teachers highly trained

Teaching attractive profession

No ranking

Principles of ECEC

201720

• All children under school-age have a subjective right to early childhood education and care (ECEC). The municipalities are responsible for arranging the ECEC services, for their quality and supervision.

• The Finnish ECEC is based on an integrated approach to education, teaching and care, the so-called “educare” model. Learning through play is essential.

The Forms of Day Care

• Child home care allowance applies when one of the parents or, for example, a relative takes care of the child/children at home and the youngest child is under 3 years

• Municipal day care or family day care: all children under school age (>10 months) are entitled to municipal daycare

• Private day care allowance is granted when the child’s care provider is a private service supplier approved by the municipal authority

• Play club activities, in which case the right to the child home care allowance is maintained.

201721

The Personnel (by law)Staff-to-child ratio

• under 3 years 1 adult /4 children • 3-5 years 1 adult /8 children (in Tampere 1/7)

Multiprofessional staff • 1/3 staff must have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Early

Childhood Education or a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences

• 2/3 staff must have upper secondary education with emphasis on early childhood education

10.12.201722

Amounts of Children in ECEC in Tampere

Children under 3 years of age: 1

700

Children over 3 years of age:

6 300

Preschool children:

1 980

Children participating in open early

childhood education:

500

Family Day Care: 300

201723

201724

• National regulation issued by the Finnish National Agency for Education.

• Used as the basis for preparing local curricula for early childhood education and care.

• The core curriculum document steers the provision, implementation and development of early childhood education and care.

• Promotes the implementation of high-quality and equal early childhood education and care in the entire country.

• The local curricula implemented since 1 August 2017.

National Core Curriculum for ECEC

201725

• Transforming from WHAT to learn to HOW to learnPedagogical Reform

• Renewal of pedagogical thinking, learning environments, working approaches and assessment

Changing Operational Culture

• Early childhood education and care, pre-primary and basic education form an integrated whole continuum following the child’s development.

The Pedagogical Continuum

New National Curricula

201726

Child’s overall well-being in focus

Integrative education

Individual ECEC plan, no learning

standards Learning through play

essential

Language, physical activity, exploration,artistic experiences and

self-expression

ECEC partnership

Maximising potential:

every child is unique

Encouragement Fairnes

s

Self-esteem

Curiosity

ResponsibilityCommunit

y

Critical thinkin

g

Joy of learning

Creativity

Learning environme

nt

TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCE

Pedagogical activities of ECEC

LEARN

ING

AREA

S

CHILDREN’S INTERESTS AND NEEDS

Education, instruction and care

Rich world of languages

Diverse forms of expression

Me and our community

Exploring and interacting with my environment

I grow, move and develop

Thinking and

learningCultural

competence, interaction and self-expression

Taking care of oneself and

managing daily life

Multiliteracy and and ICT-

communication technology

Participation and

involvement

The operational culture Learning environments Working methods

Pedagogical documentation Evaluation and development

UNDERLYING VALUES CONCEPTION OF LEARNING

I playI moveI explore

I expressI learn

I act

I participate

The child’s individual ECEC plans

• An individual early childhood education plan is drawn up for each child at early childhood education and care centres and in family daycare (the child, parents, staff).

• It consists of the objectives and measures to support the child's development, learning and wellbeing, and the need for special support where necessary.

• The child's opinions and wishes must be asked when planning, implementing and assessing early childhood education and care.

• The child's parents or guardians are allowed to take part and have a say in their child's early childhood education.

201732

Specialities in ECEC in Tampere

• Montessori-groups in 4 day care centres • Early Education groups operating in

o French language o German language o Swedish language (private) o English language (private)

• Language showers: children get a taste of different languages through play

Support in ECEC and Basic Education

Support in Early Childhood Education

• Supporting childhood development is one of the main purposes of early education. The nature and scope of the support is adapted to the individual needs of each child.

• In certain situations, the support measures require authoritative decisions and special pedagogical expertise.

201734

OBSERVATION

OBSERVATION

OBSERVATION

DOING INYENSIVELY DIFFERENTLY

DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY

indi

vidu

al su

ppor

t inc

reas

ing

solutions related to learning environments and teaching methods

GENERAL SUPPORT (individual planning)

Pedagogical assessment

INTENSIFIED SUPPORT individul plan

Extensive pedagogical assessment

SPECIAL SUPPORT individual plan

GOOD BASIC PEDAGOGY

Three Steps of Support

DOING MORE DIFFERENTLY

Support Measures in ECEC

Support measures can include pedagogical and structural solutions

• diverse flexible arrangements in the child’s own ECEC daycare group

• solutions related to learning environments • solutions related to the number of personnel

and the group structure (changing the ratio of staff and children)

• differentiation of activities • individual guidance • small groups integrated groups • placing a special needs assistant in a group • part-time special teacher

An integrated group is a day care centre group for a total of 12-14 children, 5 or 6 of which are children with special needs.

201736

Pre-Primary Education

201737

Pre-primary Education• provided in the year preceding the start of compulsory education. • compulsory since August 2015 • pre-primary education is organized mostly in schools • free of charge for all children. • additional day care services are charged. • four hours a day (700h per year) • a continuous learning path from ECEC to school • promoting child's prerequisites for growth, development and learning • integrative education

201738

National Core Curriculum for Pre-primary Education

• To smooth out individual differences in children's readiness to start school

• To learn through play, joy of learning

• Child-centered approach

• Core themes: language and interaction, mathematics, ethics and philosophy, environmental and natural studies, health, physical and motor development, art and culture

• Socio-constructivist learning conception – the active role of the child and child participation is important

201739

Current issues

• early childhood education and care reform

• learners with migrant background

• digitalisation of matriculation examination

• vocational education and training reform

• admission to higher education

• funding

• ICT in focus, learning environments

School year

The school year comprises 190 days between mid-August and the beginning of June. Schools and pre-schools are open five days a week.

• pre-school is 700h, 4h/day

School year is the same everywhere but timetables are local.

Daily and weekly timetables are decided in the schools. In addition, there is local autonomy concerning extra holidays.

Basic Education

201742

Education developed in partnership

National authorities

Local authorities Teachers’ union Social partners

Parents Pupils and students

Research institutions

Relevant stakeholders

201744

Conception of learning

Learner’s active role • Sets targets

• Reflects & analyses • Solves problems

Learning to learn •Recognises own way of learning • Applies this to promote learning

Interaction •Learns with others and in different environments

•Understands consequences

Self-conception and confidence

•Helps setting targets •Receives feedback

Key competences for lifelong learning

Learning and problem

solving Interaction and

cooperation Vocational ethics

Health, safety and ability to

function Initiative and

entrepreneurship Sustainable

development Aesthetics

Communication and media

skills Mathematics and

sciences Technology and ICT

Active citizenship and different cultures

Finnish teachers are supportive

Finnish teachers believe in:

• equity and encouragement

• individual support

• strengthening the pupils’ thinking skills

• developing the pupils’ self-confidence and tolerance

Source: From goals to interaction. Evaluation of pedagogy in Finnish basic education 2008 (National Council for Evaluation in Education in Finland)

Most teachers are required a master’s degree

Kindergarten teachers

180 ECTS (3 years)

Class teachers 300 ECTS (5

years)

Subject teachers 300 ECTS (5–6

years)

Teachers of vocational

studies: Master’s , Bachelor’s

+ work experience+ pedagogical

studies of 60 ECTS

(1 year)

Principals: teacher

education + e.g.

certificate in educational

administration

The entire day is pedagogical

6-8 CHILDREN ARRIVE AND WE OFFER AN ENVIRONMENT SUITABLE FOR EVERY CHILD TO BEGIN THEIR DAY – CARE AND PLAY

8.00 BREAKFAST

8.30 GATHERING TOGETHER, DISCUSSING AND PLANNING THE DAY’S ACTIVITIES WITH CHILDREN

DIVIDING INTO SMALLER GROUPS

PLANNED ACTIVITIES INSIDE OR/AND OUTDOORS

11.30 LUNCH

12 INDIVIDUALLY - REST AND RELAXATION, QUIET ACTIVITIES AND PLAY

14 SNACK

PLAY/PLANNED ACTIVITIES

OUTDOOR PLAY

15-18 CHILDREN GO HOME

201749