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Comparative Perspectives on Early Childhood: Choices and Values

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Nordic Social Pedagogical Approach to Early Years

Abstract

The now comprehensive research across countries evidencing correlation between quality learning environments and young children’s development both short term and long term has brought in higher political interests in young children’s learning.

Policy documents have become important sites where values and ideologies reflect national views of early childhood.

This chapter presents an example in early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy developments in Denmark and England examining key differences as well as similar movements in the development of the early year’s curricula and provision in the first 15 years of the twenty-first century. By contrasting and comparing key discourse, similarities, and differences in the Danish and the English ECEC, we aim to elucidate the impact from governmental policies on reshaping early childhood. The countries represent different traditions: the Nordic tradition represented by the Danish tradition is a “social pedagogical approach,” while the French-English tradition is an “early education” approach represented by the English approach.

This chapter addresses the importance of considering the (political) aims and values we have for ECEC and how quality assurance, parental involvement, professional positions, and children’s lives are framed by these.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/moreoecdcountriesfocusingonearlychildhoodaskeytoeducationsuccess.htm

  2. 2.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32896284

  3. 3.

    Ministry of Welfare, LBK nr 167 af 20/02/2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Charlotte Ringsmose

  2. Early Childhood Studies, Department of Education, University of Roehampton, London, UK

    Sigrid Brogaard-Clausen

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  1. Charlotte Ringsmose
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  2. Sigrid Brogaard-Clausen
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Correspondence to Charlotte Ringsmose .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Charlotte Ringsmose

  2. The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Grethe Kragh-Müller

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Ringsmose, C., Brogaard-Clausen, S. (2017). Comparative Perspectives on Early Childhood: Choices and Values. In: Ringsmose, C., Kragh-Müller, G. (eds) Nordic Social Pedagogical Approach to Early Years. International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, vol 15. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42557-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42557-3_5

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