Implementing quality
in early childhood
education and care:
the staffing dimension
Systeme der Elementarerziehung
und Professionalisierung in Europa
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Projektförderung:
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen & Jugend
Pamela Oberhuemer
Photos: Jochen Fiebig, IFP München
State Institute of Early Childhood Research (IFP)
Munich / Bavaria
Pamela Oberhuemer (Projektleitung, IFP)
Dr. Inge Schreyer (IFP)
unter Mitwirkung von
Childhood
Dr. Michelle Neuman, Washington, DC
Forum on Early
Education and Care
Tasmanian Early Years Foundation
Launceston, 8 June 2010
Outline
Professional education/training of early childhood
educators: convergence or divergence across Europe?
Curricular frameworks in Germany: regulatory or
emancipatory effects for early childhood staff?
Continuing professional learning and the EC curriculum in
Bavaria: promoting shared understandings across
provider diversity
Systeme der Elementarerziehung
und Professionalisierung in Europa
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Projektförderung:
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen & Jugend
1
Pamela Oberhuemer (Projektleitung,
IFP)
Professional
education/training
of
Dr. Inge Schreyer (IFP)
unter Mitwirkung von
early childhood educators:
Dr. Michelle Neuman, Washington, DC
convergence or divergence across Europe?
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Systeme der Elementarerziehung
und Professionalisierung in Europa
Based at:
State Institute of Early Childhood
Research (IFP), Munich
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Projektförderung:
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen & Jugend
Funded by:
German Federal Ministry for
Family and Youth AffairsPamela Oberhuemer (Projektleitung, IFP)
Dr. Inge Schreyer (IFP)
unter Mitwirkung von
Project team:
Michelle Neuman, Washington, DC
Pamela Oberhuemer, IFP,Dr.Munich
Inge Schreyer , IFP, Munich
Michelle J. Neuman, Washington, DC
Country
experts
2007-2009
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Systeme der Elementarerziehung
und Professionalisierung in Europa
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Austria Marisa Krenn-Wache
Latvia Ženija Bērzina
Belgium Jan Peeters et al.
Lithuania Regina Rimkiene, Regina Sabaliauskiene
Bulgaria ElenaRoussinova, Emil Buzov
Luxembourg Marc Wantz
Projektförderung:
Cyprus Eleni Loizou
Malta Valerie Sollars
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen & Jugend
Czech Rep. Milada Rabušicová
Netherlands Suzanne Prins-Tamis
Denmark Jytte Juul Jensen
Poland B.Murawska, M. Żytko, T. Ogrodzinska
Pamela Oberhuemer
(Projektleitung,
IFP)
Estonia Tiia Õun, Aino Ugaste
Portugal
João & Júlia
Formosinho
Dr. Inge Schreyer (IFP)
Finland Eeva-Leena Onnismaa
Romaniavon
Romita Iucu, Laura Ciolan et al.
unter Mitwirkung
Dr. Michelle Neuman,
Washington,
DC L. Šimčaková
France Sylvie Rayna
Slovakia
Zita Baďuríková,
Greece Elsie Doliopoulou
Slovenia Tatjana Vonta
Hungary Márta Korintus
Spain Irene Balaguer
Ireland Maresa Duignan
Sweden Maelis Karlsson Lohmander
Italy Susanna Mantovani
UK Liz Brooker
Aims of the
SEEPRO study
To map the education/training requirements and
workplace settings of early years practitioners in their
country-specific context
To trace similarities and differences in professional
profiles across countries
To pinpoint key workforce issues in a cross-national
perspective
High degree of convergence in the
formal level of professional
learning requirements for work
with children aged 3 or 4 up to
compulsory school age
In 22 of the 27 countries…
… the formal level and focus of requirement
for work as a group leader with the 3-6 or
4-6 age-group is an ISCED 5-level qualification
with a focus on (early childhood)
pedagogy/education.
Bachelor-level award
3 years of full-time study
ISCED – International Standard Classification of Education (UNESCO, 1997)
Convergent but not
consistent approaches…
Higher requirement in
Portugal: Since 2007 4- to 4½-year Master’s degree
for work in public and private kindergartens
Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg: 4-year course
Denmark, Sweden: 3½ -year course
France: Postgraduate professional qualification route
Requirement for sub-group only of ECEC workforce 0-5 in
England - for teachers in state-maintained sector (3 and
4 year olds) – as well as postgraduate professional routes
Bachelor not (yet)
a requirement in…
Germany
Austria
Slovak Republic
Czech Republic
Malta
High level of divergence
in professional learning
requirements for work with
children below age 3
Differences in…
Disciplinary orientation
Pedagogy
in the Baltic and Nordic countries and in Slovenia
Health/care
in Bulgaria, France, Poland, Romania
Formal level (ISCED)
5A Baltic countries, Nordic countries, Slovenia
4A Hungary, Poland, Romania
3A Italy
3B Netherlands
No requirements,
but recommendations in…
Ireland und Malta
largely market-led private childcare sectors
Belgium - private infant-toddler centres
Recommendations in Ireland:
5 competence levels
Basic – intermediate – experienced – advanced – expert practitioner
ISCED range: 3A/3C to 5A/6
Following recent introduction of entitlement for 3 year olds to 3 hours daily, the
service leader must hold a professional qualification equivalent to a minimum of
ISCED 4C.
Professional profiles
1
2
3
4
5
6
Early childhood professional
Pre-primary professional
Pre-primary and primary school professional
Social pedagogy professional
Infant-toddler professional
Health/care professional
Finland
Early childhood professional
Lastentarhanopettaja – "Kindergarten teacher“
Professional studies:
3 years university / pedagogy, ISCED 5A
Fields of work:
● Early childhood centre (0 to 6) – in a team with
social pedagogy professionals and health/care
professionals
● Pre-school class in EC centre or school for 6 to 7
year olds
Denmark
Social pedagogy professional
Pædagog – ꞌPedagogueꞌ
Professional studies: 3½ years, university college, ISCED 5A/B
Fields of work:
● Early childhood centre (0 to 3, 3 to 6, mixed-age)
● Pre-school class in school (6 year olds)
● Out-of-school centres for school children (6 to 14)
● Diverse social work/pedagogical settings for young people and adults with special
support needs
Pedagogues make up 60 per cent of staff in EC centres (OECD, 2006). They work
with pedagogical assistants who may be without relevant training or have
undergone a 19- or 25-month upper secondary level course.
New graduate-level
qualification routes in England
Diverse forms of provision
and diverse training
requirements
and routes across the early
years sector
Early years professional
New graduate-level qualification for
supporting the
Early Years Foundation Stage since 2008
Diverse entry routes
depending on prior qualification
Pledge in the
Every Child Matters
agenda
to improve the
quality and stability
of the
early years workforce
Lead practitioner
across professional boundaries
in integrated, multi-agency children´s centres
National Professional Qualification in
Integrated Centre Leadership
Leadership role in multi-agency settings
Future directions?
What kind of balance between pedagogy and
other disciplines?
What kind of balance between age-focused,
specialist and generalist concepts?
How will new qualifications (e.g. EYP in
England) sit alongside the more established
ones?
Future directions?
Will decisions be made to create more coherence
and consistently high-level requirements across
the sector?
Will parity be reached with primary school
teachers in terms of qualification level and status?
Is the gender imbalance in the workforce here
to stay?
Systeme der Elementarerziehung
und Professionalisierung in Europa
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Projektförderung:
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen & Jugend
Pamela Oberhuemer (Projektleitung, IFP)
Dr. Inge Schreyer (IFP)
unter Mitwirkung von
Dr. Michelle Neuman, Washington, DC
2
Curricular frameworks in Germany:
regulatory or emancipatory
effects for early childhood staff?
ECEC in Germany
Early childhood education and care
services 0 to 6 years are located within
the Child and Youth Welfare Sector
and not within the Education Sector.
ECEC in Germany
Federalism and subsidiarity
are
key political principles
influencing the
organisation, funding and regulation of
early childhood services.
ECEC in Germany
Responsibility is shared
between the federal government,
the 16 regional governments and
local government bodies in
partnership
with a wide range of voluntary agencies.
Provider structures in Germany
Centre-based provision, 01.03.09
Federal Statistics Office
Other "free providers"
15%
Paritätischer Welfare
Association
9%
Public providers
34%
Workers' Welfare
Association
4%
German Red Cross
2%
Affiliated to Catholic
church
19%
Affiliated to Protestant
church
17%
Growth mainly in area of non-church affiliated "free providers" (Schreyer, 2009).
ꞌPISA shockꞌ 2001
School readiness issues
First-time curricular frameworks as from 2003
Common Framework for Early Education
agreed (but not made mandatory) at inter-ministerial
level in 2004
Curricular frameworks as…
a means of raising the status and visibility of
early childhood institutions
a shared framework of guiding principles for
diverse community and cultural groups
a quality improvement and equity measure
a common framework for enhancing
communication in centre teams and with parents
Oberhuemer, 2004
Curricular frameworks
Germany in a European context
Norway 0-61
Finland 6 year olds
statutory
France 3-6
Revision
Finland 0-6
non-statutory
England 0-5
England 0-3
Early Years
Foundation Stage
Sweden 1-6
Denmark 0-6
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
Norway 0-62
England 3-5
Revision
Curricular guidance FS
France 0-3
Guidelines
Germany (2003 →)
0 - 6 years but also 3 – 6 (Baden Württemberg) and
0-10 (Hesse, Thüringen)
16 federal state framework curricula, 1 Common Framework 2004
Bavarian Early Childhood Curriculum 2005
Principles, e.g.
Basic competencies
● Children as agents of their own learning
● Education as a relational and life-long process
● Holistic approach to education, pedagogy, learning
● Education for democracy as underpinning principle
● Personal
● Social
● Learning how to learn
● Coping with change and stress
Domain-specific areas of learning
Cross-cutting themes
Transitions ● individual differences and socio-cultural
diversity ● gender-sensitive pedagogy● intercultural
education ● inclusive pedagogy, special needs,
giftedness
Values, ethics, religious beliefs ● Emotionality,
social relationships and conflicts● Language and
literacy ● ICT, ● Mathematics ● Science
and Technology ● Ecology ● Ästhetics, art and
culture ● Music ● Movement, rhythmics, dance,
sport ● Health
Key processes for ensuring quality learning
Children‘s participation ● Scaffolding ● Co-operation and networking ●
Observation, assessment, ongoing quality improvement
The early childhood curricula represent
both an endorsement of traditional philosophies and
practices
and the promotion of significant shifts in
●public awareness
●programme scope
●assessment, evaluation, quality improvement
With a continuing commitment to an
EC sector organised outside the
education/school system, new forms of
steering and regulation have been
accommodated within existing
structures.
Regulatory effects
Bavaria, Berlin, Saxony, Thüringen
EC centres are required by law to include the main
principles, aims, areas of learning in their own
centre-specific programmes – in Berlin combined with
prescribed self-evaluation and external assessment
procedures
In the majority of Länder the frameworks are
ꞌguidelinesꞌ – mostly combined with a contract of
commitment to endorsement between the government
and the non-governmental agencies
Practitioner perspective
Questionnaire survey in 104
pilot centres in Bavaria:
Should the curriculum be compulsory?
63 per cent very positive
30 per cent positive
Criticism not of the curriculum
document as such but of the
working conditions and lack of
professional preparation
for implementing the wide range of
pedagogical activities formulated.
Berwanger, Lorenz & Minsel, 2009
Issue: ꞌschoolificationꞌ?
Two years after introduction:
45 per cent of EC centre leaders
(N = 319) concerned that there could be a danger of
ꞌschoolificationꞌ, an increase of 11 per cent
compared with the previous year.
Staatsinstitut für Frühpädagogik, 2006
Emancipatory effects?
New chances for EC educators
Since 2004: over 50 new BA-level courses have
been initiated, focusing either on early childhood or
on early childhood and beyond.
Emancipatory effects?
In progress: a nation-wide initiative co-ordinated by
the German Youth Institute (DJI) and funded by
the Federal Ministry for Education and the Robert
Bosch Foundation is seeking to transform the
landscape of continuing professional development.
http://www.weiterbildungsinitiative.de
Systeme der Elementarerziehung
und Professionalisierung in Europa
Systems of early education/care
and professionalisation in Europe
Projektförderung:
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen & Jugend
3
Continuing
professional learning
Pamela Oberhuemer (Projektleitung, IFP)
Dr. Inge Schreyer (IFP)
approaches
in Bavaria:
unter Mitwirkung
von
Dr. Michelle Neuman, Washington, DC
promoting shared understandings
across provider diversity
How to ensure
similar professional learning
opportunities relating to the
EC curriculum across the
diverse provider structures?
Co-ordinated CPD campaigns
across Bavaria
CPD steering group
Ministry of Social Affairs
The five main service provider organisations
State Institute of EC Research
Planning – Training/Trainers – Programme
design – Programme evaluation
2004 - 2013
Introducing reforms sustaining reforms
Target group 1 (2004-2007)
Centre leaders (approx. 6600)
Introducing the new curriculum framework
2 day seminar – approx. 10 week innovation phase - 1 day seminar
Seminar evaluation
Introducing reforms sustaining reforms
Target group 2 (2007-2013)
EC educators and school teachers
(approx. 2600 in first two years)
Transition to school
1 day seminar – approx. 10 week innovation phase - 1 day seminar
Seminar evaluation
Introducing reforms sustaining reforms
Target group 3 (2007-2011)
Centre teams (ca. 300)
Working with the curriculum framework
4 sessions of 4 days annually in house
Evaluation 1:
Practitioner perspectives on effectiveness (bi-annual)
Evaluation 2:
Knowledge transfer – questionnaire survey before first learning activity in team and 3 months after
the last
Thank you for listening.
Thank you.
Issue: access
More than 50 per cent of the children living in
the western regions who do not speak German
at home are concentrated in about 7 per cent
of centres.
Deutsches Jugendinstitut & Dortmunder Arbeitsstelle 2008
Federal state
Participation rate
German-speaking
%
Participation rate
Non-Germanspeaking
%
Schleswig-Holstein
91
60
Bavaria
95
75
Bremen
96
75
Berlin
100
80
Bock-Famulla & Große-Wöhrmann, 2010
ISCED
qualification levels
ISCED 6
ISCED 5A, 5B
First stage tertiary
ISCED 4A, 4B
Post-secondary non-tertiary
ISCED 3A, 3B, 3C Upper secondary
ISCED 2
ISCED 1
ISCED 0
An instrument for comparing levels and
fields of education across countries,
developed by UNESCO in the 1970s
and revised in 1997.
Ongoing professional learning
Broad agreement on the key goals of continuing professional
development (CPD)
Supporting staff in their professional learning
Updating professional knowledge
Reflecting on everyday practices
Learning about new technologies
Implementing reforms
Improving centre / service quality
… but considerable variation in translating the goals into
practice across the EU countries.
Diversity of CPD providers
National institutes of professional development, mostly attached to the
Ministry of Education
Local authority regional centres (ʺmethodological centresʺ)
Higher education institutions
Adult and further education colleges
Professional organisations
Freelance consultants and trainers
Obligatory
Core practitioners in split ECEC systems
Education sector
Childcare sector
Czech Republic 12 days/year
Belgium Flanders (4-60 hours/year)
Cyprus state employees only
Hungary 60 hours/5 years
Greece state employees: 3 months
before commencing first post
Romania 40 hours/year
Hungary 120 hours/7 years
Malta 5 days/2 years
Portugal state employees: 50 hours/2
years
Romania 90 ECTS credits / 5 years
Slovak Republic courses run by
Ministry of Education
IFP international
curriculum review
Diversity as the starting point and a
characteristic of learning pathways
Quality of relationships as the key to well-being
and learning
Generating positive learning dispositions
and a positive self-concept as learner
Fthenakis & Oberhuemer, 2004
Continuing professional development:
obligatory or optional?
In most of the integrated systems of ECEC, CPD is an
option, not a requirement.
In the education sectors of most central/eastern
European countries with splitsystems there are certain
requirements, in other EU countries with split systems
CPD is mostly optional.
In most of the countries with split systems,
opportunities for staff in the childcare sector to
participate in CPD are less regulated than for
pre-primary staff in the education sector.
CPD linked to
career advancement strategies
Two examples
Lithuania/Estonia: External evaluation every 5 years 
promotion and higher salary
Slovenia: Accumulated credit points can lead to promotion to
a permanent post as mentor, adviser or counsellor – linked to
higher salary