Early Childhood Education and Care - Background Reports

Background reports are comprehensive and critical descriptions of ECEC policies and organisation in participating countries, prepared and written by each country. In brief, Background Reports cover the following aspects of ECEC policy: the demographic, economic and social contexts of each country; general information about the ECEC system (purposes of the system, auspices; organisation…); issues of access; the quality of provision; coherence and co-ordination of policy and services; strategies to ensure adequate investment in the system; staff training and work conditions; curriculum and pedagogical frameworks; monitoring and evaluation; engaging parents, families, and communities.

First Round of Reviews 1998-2000

• Australia
• Belgium (Flanders): part 1, part 2
• Belgium (French community) (in French only)
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6
• Portugal (in Portuguese) part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7
• Sweden 
• United Kingdom
• United States 

Second Round of Reviews 2003-2004

• Austria (in English; in German)
• Canada (in English; en français)
• France (in French only)
• Germany (in English; in German)
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Korea
• Mexico (in Spanish only)

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