European models of childcare Tutor: Maureen McLachlan

Something to remember ‘The assumption that an early primary school starting age is beneficial for children’s later attainment is not well supported by research evidence.’ (Riggall and Sharp, 2008)

Things to consider European countries do education differently - with different: starting ages, reading levels, varied approaches to the curriculum and assessment, extremes of class size and funding. Teacher training

Starting age In England, while the official starting age remains five, a dramatic increase in  the formalisation of nursery education is taking place alongside a structured Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. This, together with assessment in the form of the Foundation Stage Profile (FSP), makes our early years education system the most formalised in Europe. This is in direct contrast to most other EU countries where the starting age for compulsory primary school education is normally six (France, Germany and Italy) or seven (Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Denmark). The Netherlands is the only other EU country where pupils start school at five.

Content and assessment All European countries have a wide variety of pre-school education, often referred to as kindergarten or family education daycare centers. In Finland each local area can decide how to provide the free pre-primary education, either in a family daycare center or unit attached to a school. One of the key differences lies in the content and assessment of pre-school learning.

In the very successful Finnish education system, pre-school education is based on the child’s own knowledge, skills and experiences. The focus is on play and ‘a positive outlook to life’. Pre-school education does not have an official evaluation system special attention is paid to the child’s readiness for school life Emphasis is on emotional, social and cognitive development. There is no formalised curriculum or assessment.

European systems The system in Italy ‘scuole dell’infanza’ caters for pupils from three to six and offers: learning based on the development of artistic, social and physical skills. In Germany pre-school education is organised by the social ministry and delivered by welfare associations and church groups showing an emphasis on the development of social skills and positive attitudes rather than explicit learning goals. Consider if an earlier starting age in primary schools has a positive impact on educational standards or if it is associated with increased childcare provision. Discuss this in your groups

The curriculum across Europe The majority of EU countries do not have a formal national curriculum identifying specific topics and precise content for primary schools. Most European countries set ‘general guidelines’ for younger pupils, which often focus on positive attitudes, play activities and social development. For example: In Iceland the objectives for the primary sector emphasise that: ‘school work is … to lay the foundation for independent thinking and to train pupils to cooperate with others’. (Eurydice, 2006)

Individual schools develop their own work programms based on national guidance and overall curriculum guidelines. In Spain, the primary curriculum is described in the following terms: natural, social and cultural environment, artistic education, physical education, Spanish language and literature, foreign languages and mathematics.

In Finland, local areas design their own curriculum regulations that are sensitive to the local context. There is an emphasis on environmental studies, social skills, visual arts and crafts and foreign languages in addition to core language and numeracy skills. In the Netherlands social and life skills and healthy living are specified in the primary curriculum and individual schools are free to decide how much time is spent on the various areas of the curriculum.

In Norway an almost totally thematic approach is encouraged for the delivery of the curriculum. The Danish primary curriculum (for pupils aged six to 14) is described in three blocks: the humanities (including several languages), practical/art subjects and sciences.

Most European countries have overall ‘guidelines which include: control over teaching methods, key content and curriculum structure. The main difference between the UK and many other EU countries is the link between the curriculum and teaching styles and the direct accountability of schools through primary school testing and Ofsted inspections. It could be argued that the strong accountability agenda in the UK constrains the curriculum and impacts on attitudes and motivation of pupils and staff. England’s primary schools are now some of the best equipped and staffed schools in the EU.

Teachers’ qualifications Generally there are high standards of qualifications for teachers across Europe. Most other countries expect a formal first degree teaching qualification for access to the teaching profession. This is in contrast to the increasingly wider variety of access courses into teaching in the UK, especially with the developing role of higher level teaching assistants. The top performing countries in the recent OECD PISA report (Finland, Estonia, Sweden and Germany) have an all-graduate teaching profession. In Finland, primary school teachers normally need to have a Master’s degree as entry to the profession. The key question for our education system is whether the increasingly varied entry routes into teaching are having any effect on standards or educational outcomes. What impact do you think this has on England's education attainment? Discuss in groups and feedback.

Staffing ratios/class sizes Consider average class sizes and associated national class regulations to see if there is any correlation between primary class sizes and educational standards. In 2005 the average class size across primary schools in the UK was 25.8 (OECD, 2007), which was generally larger than most other European countries. The EU average for 2005 was much lower at 20.3. Across the EU the lowest average class sizes were in Luxembourg at 15.6. There are legal class size limits in about half the EU countries, with a maximum class size in: Austria of 30, Ireland of 29, Denmark of 28, Hungary of 26 Spain, Italy and Greece 25. remember that ‘primary schools’ in many of these countries include pupils from six to 13 or 14.

Government spending A major factor in comparing primary education provision across Europe is the proportion of GDP spent on education. The UK spent 5.9% on education in 2004 orgnisation for co-operation and development (OECD, 2007), which is slightly above the OECD average of 5.8%. The figure for the UK has significantly increased since the year 2000 when only 5% was spent on education. However, the very successful northern European countries are spending more on education as the following list indicates: Denmark 7.2%, Finland 6.1%, Iceland 8%, Norway 6.2% Sweden 6.7%. These figures indicate the strong commitment of these countries to education. This is reflected in the high percentage of students obtaining a university degree and in the excellent results in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2006 survey. However, education spending in the UK is increasing at a faster rate than most other EU countries, albeit from a lower base.

Teachers’ pay Teachers’ salaries are the largest single cost in providing school education, Generally, teachers in secondary schools are better paid than in primary schools and in most EU countries’ teacher salaries have increased in real terms during the period 1996 and 2005. This reflects an increasing acceptance of the key role of the teaching profession in developing the skills levels of any country. The average starting salary of a primary school teacher in England in 2005 was £18,607, which was above the EU average of £17,564. Only Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain had higher starting salaries than in England Luxembourg at £30,535 and Germany £24,893 have starting salaries significantly above salaries in England.

Teachers’ working time Generally across Europe, teachers work longer hours in primary schools than in secondary schools. In OECD countries, a primary school teacher ‘teaches’ an average of 803 hours a year. The hours taught by UK teachers are slightly above the OECD average at just under 900 hours a year. The 1,265 contracted working hours of teachers is also above the OECD average of 1,151 hours. The UK is one of a small number of countries that formally allocates teachers non-teaching time. teachers in England only have to work for five years to get to the top of the basic salary scale, in most other European countries, teachers have to work over 20 years to get to the top of the scale. it is usual for teachers to be appointed by local councils rather than by individual schools in many EU countries.

How do we compare on standards? The two main international surveys on educational achievement are the PIRLS,2006 (progress on reading literacy survey) which compared the performance of 10-year-olds in 40 countries in reading comprehension the PISA (performance in school attainment) survey which is carried out every three years and looks at the performance of 15-year-olds in reading, math's and science.

England’s results The recent PIRLS survey looked at reading for literary purposes and for informational purposes. The results showed that pupils in England in 2006 achieved above the international mean but below a number of European countries including Italy, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg and Belgium. England was also below several relatively poor eastern European countries including Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Latvia and was overall fifteenth out of 40 countries. This showed a decline from third place in the 2001 survey. It also showed that pupils in England had a more negative attitude to reading than children in many other countries and did not read for pleasure.

Educational outcomes Educational outcomes have become a core principle of government policy and much emphasis has been placed on targets, testing and summative assessment for the general public. The results from the PISA 2006 survey are equally disappointing with the UK ranked fourteenth out of 57 countries in science, seventeenth in reading and twenty-eighth in maths. Finland was first or in the top three for all areas of the curriculum. These results obviously raise a number of questions about our education system, its structures and curriculum such as. why are our measurable outcomes declining compared to many other EU countries? how can the UK organise primary education to prevent such decline. Several of theses factors have been confirmed in the new research for the Primary Review document (Riggall and Sharp 2008).

Sweden V England Sweden early years www.teachers.tv/series/how-do-they-do-it-in?subject=Sweden