Early childhood teacher education
focused on multilingual and
multicultural issues
Gunilla Holm
Professor of Education
University of Helsinki
Background
• New early childhood teacher education
program in Swedish at the University of
Helsinki in collaboration with Åbo Academy
University started in September 2011
• One previously far away located program
• Poor student recruitment from the Helsinki
region
• 20-50% uncertified early childhood teachers in
metropolitan Helsinki region
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Legal regulations for teacher education until 2006
No more monopoly on teacher education
Municipal initiative for the program
Collaboration and much activism (regional city
heads of education, regional municipal
organization) and lobbying within the university
for a positive answer by the University of Helsinki
and the Ministry of Education
Political resistance
• Are we our own worst enemy? Media war
• The Swedish-speaking community divided on
the issue---political lobbying, support of a
Member of the Parliament, politicians,
Swedish People’s Party, Minister of Culture,
Ministry of Education
• Costs
Guiding principles
• Minority program, less interest – freedom
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child serve
as a foundation for early childhood education and
care in Finland . Article 29:
• “(c) The development of respect for the child's
parents, his or her own cultural identity, language
and values, for the national values of the country
in which the child is living, the country from
which he or she may originate, and for
civilizations different from his or her own;
• (d) The preparation of the child for responsible
life in a free society, in the spirit of
understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of
sexes, and friendship among all peoples,
ethnic, national and religious groups and
persons of indigenous origin”
• Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2002) –
values in the Constitution:
quality, sanctity of human dignity, securing
personal freedom and personal rights, freedom
of religion as well as language and cultural
rights. Furthermore, children should be treated
as equals and be heard in things concerning
them.
National curriculum for pre-school
(2000, 6-year old children)
• Children should be given the same
opportunities to learn and develop
• Socially just – special education at an early
stage
• Cultural and linguistic identity should be
strengthened
National curriculum guidelines on early
childhood education and care
• “treated fairly regardless of gender or social,
cultural and ethnic background”
• Advisory Board for Early Childhood
Education and Care (2008) - a high quality
program should diminish differences among
children from different living conditions and
social class background
University based Bachelor’s degree
since 1995, 180 study points
• Polytechnic degree – not pre-school certified
• foundations of education (25 points):
foundations of early childhood education,
history and philosophy of early childhood
education, sociological foundations of early
childhood, child development and
socialization, a course in how children learn
and two practice periods Ia and Ib.
• General early childhood and research related
courses (40 points) : multilingualism, the role
of play, special education, educational
planning, theory and teaching in preschool
education, childhood psychology, socioemotional development and family dynamics,
qualitative and quantitative research methods,
thesis seminar and thesis.
• The courses required for preschool teaching
certification include media culture and media
education, social interaction and belonging in a
multicultural society, language development
and stimulation, drama, mathematics,
environment and natural sciences, religion and
ethics, children’s literature, art, crafts, music,
movement and health as well as practice
periods II and III.
• A minor consisting of 25 points. This could be,
for example, in-depth didactic studies in
literature, music or sports, etc.
• Most will take the minor in Finnish. There are
not enough resources to offer it in Swedish
• Bilingual program
Three program foci
• Multilingual education, identity and diversity,
and esthetic education
• Separate courses but infused in all relevant
courses
• Over 65% of the children in daycare in the
metropolitan Helsinki region come from
Finnish-Swedish bilingual homes
Multilingualism
• bi- and multilingualism
• language stimulation activities
• language immersion programs
Identity and diversity
• Swedish culture in Finland – inclusive of
bilingual children and children with Swedish
as a second language
• Multicultural education – inclusive definition;
ethnicity, race, social class differences,
religion, disability
• gender – big achievement differences
Longterm goals:
• Strengthen the Swedish language and culture
among children
• Reduce prejudice and discrimination
• Understanding and including a variety of
minority groups
• Provide early childhood education teachers
who can establish socially just daycare and
pre-school environments
Importance of university level early childhood
teacher education in a minority language
• requires solid knowledge of
- one’s own language,
- how language develops
- research about bilingualism in order to be able
to further mono- and bilingual children’s
language development and skills.
- teachers become bilingual: major in Swedish,
minor in Finnish
- Swedish children’s culture & cultural-esthetic
learning opportunities
Challenges:
• Require qualified Swedish speaking university
early childhood educators
• Pooling resources, collaboration skills,
patience, willingness to compromise, funding,
good students and political will for the
program to survive