Results from TALIS Starting Strong 2024

Annex A. Profiles of early childhood education and care systems

The profiles in this annex provide an overview of early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems across participating countries and subnational entities, to contextualise findings from the Starting Strong Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS Starting Strong) 2024. These profiles present system-level data that highlight key policies and structures shaping ECEC provision. The profiles draw primarily from OECD policy questionnaires and indicators, such as those published in Education at a Glance and the Starting Strong series. In some cases, supplementary information was provided by participating countries and subnational entities and is noted in the sources at the end of this annex.

Each profile is structured around two core elements:

1. A figure illustrating the organisation of the ECEC system, including legal entitlements to ECEC, the types and age groupings of ECEC settings, the presence of a curriculum or learning framework, and governance arrangements.

2. A table presenting statistical indicators and policy information across six key dimensions:

• enrolment in ECEC

• working conditions

• expenditure and funding

• governance

• quality standards

• workforce development.

Chile

Figure A A.1. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Chile

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.1. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Chile

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 14 Age 2: 32	Age 3: 54 Age 4: 81 Age 5: 92
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	36 942
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	0
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	1 980
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	2023	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	1 006
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC3	2022	% of GDP	0.2	0.8
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child3	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	8 937	7 863
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	15	19
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	25	25
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Public ECEC services are provided free of charge. For private ECEC services, there is no national framework regulating parental fees in ECEC; subsidised centres receive per-child funding that varies by region, with additional support available for children with special educational needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	The Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación) is responsible for setting a regulatory framework for ECEC settings.
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	The implementation of the Curricular Bases for Early Childhood Education (Bases Curriculares de la Educación Parvularia) is monitored by the central government, while the implementation of the Framework for Good Teaching at Early Childhood Education (Marco para la Buena Enseñanza de la Educación Parvularia) involves co-ordination across central, regional and local government levels.
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	For all setting types:  For children under age 2: one assistant per 7 children; one teacher per 42 children and one food operator per 40 children. Maximum group size is 21.  For children age 2: one assistant per 25 children and one teacher per 32 children. Maximum group size is 32.  For children age 3: one assistant and one teacher per 32 children. Maximum group size is 32.  For children age 4: one assistant and one teacher per 35 children. If the group size is ten or less, only one teacher is required. According to current regulations, there is no maximum group size.  For children age 5-6: one assistant and one teacher per 45 children. If the group size is 15 or less, only one teacher is required. According to current regulations, there is no maximum group size.
Indicator	Description
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The implementation of the Curricular Bases for Early Childhood Education (Bases Curriculares de la Educación Parvularia) is mandatory for all ECEC settings, while the implementation of the Framework for Good Teaching at Early Childhood Education (Marco para la Buena Enseñanza de la Educación Parvularia) is recommended for all settings.
6.Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	For all ECEC settings, classroom/playroom teachers are required to have an ISCED level 6 education (bachelor’s degree).
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff4	For publicly managed and funded kindergartens and for teachers and assistants that work in schools, minimum yearly participation in professional development is required and regulated by the government.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Data include education-related expenditure by households spent outside institutions (e.g. books, pencils). 

4. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Colombia

Figure A A.2. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Colombia

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.2. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Colombia

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 3 Age 2: 21	Age 3: 47 Age 4: 71 Age 5: 100
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	57 853
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	0
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers3 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	1 720
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	2023	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	752
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2020	% of GDP	0.2	0.4
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	–	–
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	–
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	–	–
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	ECEC services in official (public) settings are free of charge. Fees for private provision are regulated for the second cycle of initial education.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	The Intersectoral Commission for Comprehensive Early Childhood Care (Comisión Intersectorial de Primera Infancia) is responsible for setting a regulatory framework for ECEC settings.
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	Monitoring of early childhood settings is conducted through the Comprehensive Development Monitoring System, administered by the Ministry of National Education (Ministerio de Educación Nacional) in co‑ordination with the Intersectoral Commission for Comprehensive Early Childhood Care (Comisión Intersectorial para la Atención Integral de la Primera Infancia).
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	First cycle of initial education Child-staff ratios: For children aged 3-12 months: 10:1 For children aged 12-23 months: 10:1 For children aged 24-36 months: 15:1 For multi-age groups (6-36 months): 10:1 If more than 4 children under 23 months are enrolled in multi-age groups, one pedagogical assistant is required. Second cycle of initial education Child-staff ratios in maximum numbers: For pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and multigrade second cycle, the ratios are 20:1 in urban settings and 15:1 in rural settings For transition grades, the ratios vary from 20:1 to 25:1 for urban settings and from 15:1 to 18:1 in rural settings. For flexible strategies for early childhood education in dispersed rural areas ratios vary from 8:1 to 12:1. For the ECEC services provided by the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, the operational structure must comply with the technical manuals applicable to each modality.
Indicator	Description
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The Curriculum Bases for Initial and Preschool Education (Bases curriculares para la educación inicial y preescolar) is a guiding document for teachers in all ECEC settings.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	For teachers working in the second cycle of initial education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent corresponding to ISCED level 6 is required. Training programmes are recommended to include content-specific knowledge relevant to early childhood education, such as child development, curriculum and pedagogy, and special education. For other ECEC settings, classroom and playroom teachers are required to hold at least an ISCED level 4 qualification, typically a technical degree in early childhood care or education.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	All providers of ECEC services are encouraged to implement an annual professional development plan for staff.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Denmark

Figure A A.3. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Denmark

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.3. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Denmark

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 40 Age 2: 87	Age 3: 95 Age 4: 96 Age 5: 96
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	62 767
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	7 845
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	1 643	1 643
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.6	0.5
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	28 217	13 522
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	24	24
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	100	100
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Entitlement to ECEC free of tuition fees is available based on family income and other factors from 6 months of age to support participation in ECEC.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet)
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	National authority
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	For kindergartens, the child-staff ratio is 6:1.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The Strengthened Pedagogical Curriculum (Den styrkede pædagogiske læreplan) is compulsory for all ECEC settings for all age groups.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher in a kindergarten, nursery or an integrated institution, a bachelor’s degree with content-specific knowledge of ECEC is required, corresponding to ISCED level 6.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	There is no regulation mandating annual professional development.

1. Enrolment rates for under age 3 include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and rates for children age 3-5 includes ISCED 02 programmes and primary education, for purposes of international comparison.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Finland

Figure A A.4. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Finland

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.4. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Finland

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 23 Age 2: 74	Age 3: 86 Age 4: 90 Age 5: 91
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2, 3 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	42 927
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2, 3 in primary and pre‑primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	6 806
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.4	0.8
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	35 051	16 188
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	4	6
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	100	99
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Pre-primary education (esiopetus) (around four hours per day) is free of charge. Children have a legal right to access ECEC before and after pre-primary hours, with fees determined by family income, size and hours of attendance.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Ministry of Education and Culture (Suomen opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö)
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	National authority
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	Centre-based early childhood education (päiväkoti): The child-staff ratio for children under age 3 is 4:1, meaning one qualified staff member per four children. The maximum group size is 12 children with 3 staff members. For children age 3-5, the ratio is 7:1, with a maximum group size of 21 children per 3 staff members. A ratio of 13:1 may be applied if children attend for a maximum of 5 hours per day, with a maximum group size of 39 children; however, such groups do not exist in practice in Finland, despite being permitted by regulation. Family day care (perhepäivähoito): Each childminder may care for up to four children, plus one part-time child (e.g. a child attending pre-primary education who joins for the afternoon). In group family day care, the same ratio applies, with a maximum of 3 staff members (at least one with higher qualifications) and 12 children in total. Open early childhood education and care activities (avoin varhaiskasvatustoiminta): There are no regulated child-staff ratios.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The curricula is compulsory for all ECEC settings. There is no separate curriculum for open ECEC services and family day care; however, the National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care (esiopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet) is also applied in these settings, with necessary adaptations.
Indicator	Description
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	There are no formal educational qualification requirements to become a classroom/playroom teacher in an open ECEC activities setting. In a home-based early childhood education setting, an upper secondary education with content-specific knowledge related to ECEC is required, corresponding to ISCED level 3. To work as a classroom/playroom teacher in either a centre-based early childhood education setting or a pre‑primary education setting, a bachelor’s degree with content-specific knowledge related to ECEC is required, corresponding to ISCED level 6.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff4	Yearly participation in professional development for centre-based early childhood education and pre-primary education is regulated.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Data on pre-primary education include salaries of kindergarten teachers.

4. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Flemish Community of Belgium

Figure A A.5. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in the Flemish Community of Belgium

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.5. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in the Flemish Community of Belgium

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1, 2	2024	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 58 Age 2: 40 Under age 3: 51	Age 3: 99 Age 4: 99 Age 5: 99
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers3 after ten years of experience2	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	64 809
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers3 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience2	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	0
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers3 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time2	2023	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	704
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC2	2022	% of GDP	–	0.7
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child2	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	–	12 979
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC2	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	2
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers2	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	–	7
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	In subsidised childcare settings (kinderopvang), parent contributions are income-based. In contrast, settings that do not benefit from any public subsidies, or receive only a public basic funding, have discretion to set their own fees. Pre-primary education (kleuteronderwijs) is provided free of charge, with families only covering the cost of meals.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	For childcare settings (kinderopvang), the responsibility is with the Flemish Minister of Welfare and Poverty Reduction, Culture and Equal Opportunities (Vlaams minister van Welzijn en Armoedebestrijding, Cultuur en Gelijke Kansen) For pre-primary education settings (kleuteronderwijs), the responsibility is with the Inspectorate of Educational Quality, which belongs to the Policy domain of Education and Training.
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	For childcare settings (kinderopvang), the responsibility is with the Flemish Healthcare Inspectorate in close collaboration with the Agency Opgroeien. For pre-primary education settings (kleuteronderwijs), the regional and sub-regional governments are in charge of monitoring.
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	For childcare settings (kinderopvang), the child-staff ratios were updated in 2024 and are being implemented with a transition phase until 2027: 5:1 for groups with only children younger than 12 months. 8:1 in groups with only children older than 12 months. 7:1 in mixed groups. For pre-primary education settings (kleuteronderwijs), there is no specified child-staff ratio.
Indicator	Description
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	Childcare settings (kinderopvang) are recommended to implement the pedagogical framework introduced by the Flemish Minister of Welfare and Poverty Reduction, Culture and Equal Opportunities (Vlaams minister van Welzijn en Armoedebestrijding, Cultuur en Gelijke Kansen). Pre-primary education settings (kleuteronderwijs) are required to develop an educational plan aligned with the developmental goals (ontwikkelingsdoelen) set by the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training (Vlaams Ministerie van Onderwijs en Vorming). These plans need to be approved by the government.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers3	In childcare settings (kinderopvang), staff are required to hold a qualification at ISCED level 3, corresponding to secondary vocational education or training, to work as childcare workers. In pre-primary education settings (kleuteronderwijs), a bachelor’s degree in pre-primary education at ISCED level 6 is required to work as a qualified pre-primary teacher.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff4	Both childcare (kinderopvang) and pre-primary education settings (kleuteronderwijs) are required to provide training in professional development, although there are no requirements on the content, intensity or delivery mode.

1. Enrolment rates cover children enrolled in ECEC services, including ISCED and other registered programmes, for those under age 3, and children enrolled in pre-primary education (ISCED 02) for those age 3-5, for purposes of international comparison. Pre-primary education in the Flemish Community of Belgium also includes children age 6 and the other indicators in this profile reflect the situation for the full age-range of the pre-primary education system.

2. Data reflect regional-level statistics reported for the Flemish Community of Belgium.

3. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

4. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, childcare professionals, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Germany

Figure A A.6. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Germany

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.6. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Germany

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2024	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 21 Age 2: 66	Age 3: 88 Age 4: 93 Age 5: 94
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	–	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	–
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	–	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	–
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	1 778
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	2023	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	1 755
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.4	0.7
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	24 546	15 167
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	16	9
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	84	87
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Regulations on parental fees vary across federal states. In some states, such as Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, fees have been fully removed for both centre-based and family childcare. Other states waive fees for children age 3 and above (e.g. Brandenburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony) or offer fee-waivers for a specific amount/number of hours, either across all age groups (e.g. Hamburg) or specifically for children over age 3 (e.g. Hesse). In Saxony-Anhalt, parents are required to pay contributions only for their oldest child enrolled in ECEC. In addition, all federal states are required to apply socially staggered contributions for ECEC, typically based on household income, number of children or hours of attendance, although the specific rules differ across states. Low-income families receiving child allowance or social benefits (e.g. housing or unemployment allowance, or asylum seekers benefits) are generally exempted from paying fees.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Subnational authorities (Länder/federal states) are responsible for setting a regulatory framework.
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	The responsibility for monitoring ECEC settings lies with the 16 federal states (Länder), each of which have differing approaches that can involve different levels of local/sub-regional and regional oversight.
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	Regulations regarding group size and child-staff ratios are determined by each of the 16 federal states (Länder) and differ significantly across states.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The Common Framework for Early Education in ECEC settings (Gemeinsamer Rahmen der Länder für die frühe Bildung in Kindertageseinrichtungen) sets out common principles for pedagogical practice across the country. However, each federal state also maintains its own curriculum framework, which differ in their coverage of ECEC settings.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	For family childcare settings (kindertagespflege), a pedagogical qualification of any sort, typically the qualification course to work in family childcare, is required as a minimum (minimum 160-hour course, alternatively a 300-hour course or a higher qualification). For all other ECEC setting types, a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s including content-specific knowledge to ECEC is required, corresponding to an ISCED level 6.
Indicator	Description
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	For family childcare (kindertagespflege), regulations are set at the state level. In most states, annual participation in professional development is required (e.g. Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Saxony‑Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). For ECEC settings for mixed age groups (kindertageseinrichtungen mit Kindern aller Altersgruppen), children under age 3 and children age 3-6, yearly participation in professional development for staff is required and regulated.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes. Pre-primary education in Germany also includes children age 6 and the other indicators in this profile reflect the situation for the full age-range of the pre-primary education system.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Ireland

Figure A A.7. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Ireland

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.7. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Ireland

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 12 Age 2: 32	Age 3: 91 Age 4: 94 Age 5: 99
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	–	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	–
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	–	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	–
Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.2
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	–	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	–
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	–	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	0
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Universal and targeted subsidies, based on family income and other factors, are available for children from 6 months of age to support participation in ECEC. These subsidies cover hours beyond those provided by “Early Childhood Care and Education programme”, which provides 2 years of free preschool provision (15 hours per week during term‑times).
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Department of Children, Disability and Equality
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	National authority
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	Child-staff ratios: for 0-1-year olds: 3:1 for 1-2-year-olds: 5:1 for 2-3-year-olds: 6:1 for 3-5-year-olds: 8:1 for full-time and part-time care and 11:1 for sessional care (up to 3.5 hours per day). Group size: ECEC settings that only provide a “sessional preschool service” (catering for 3-5-year-olds for up to 3.5 hours per day) can have no more than 22 children in a room at a time. This requirement does not apply if the service involves full-time care.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The curriculum framework is recommended for use across all ECEC settings and age groups.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	To qualify as a classroom/playroom staff (including teachers) in centre-based ECEC settings, post‑secondary non-tertiary education is required, corresponding to ISCED level 4. There is no qualification requirement for home-based ECEC settings, except for a requirement to complete a short pre-registration training course.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	Yearly participation in professional development for staff in centre-based settings is neither regulated nor required.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 programmes for those under age 3, and pre-primary (ISCED 02) and primary education (ISCED 1) for those aged 3-5, for purposes of international comparison.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childcare education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Israel

Figure A A.8. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Israel

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.8. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Israel

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 50 Age 2: 76	Age 3: 100 Age 4: 99 Age 5: 97
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	45 514
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	6 632
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	1 047
Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	2023	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	1 011
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.3	0.9
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	4 377	7 863
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	72	10
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	37	52
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	For children age 0-3, access to subsidised ECEC is available for up to 50 hours per week (approximately 40% of all registered centre-based settings). If there are more children than there are places available, an admission committee will assess children’s needs against priority criteria.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	The Ministry of Education (Mis’rad Ha’Chinuch) is responsible for setting a regulatory framework for ECEC settings.
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	The Ministry of Education’s (Mis’rad Ha’Chinuch) supervisors.
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	6. For childcare centres (meonot), the child-staff ratio is 6:1 for children under the age of 15 months; 9:1 for children under age 2; 9:1 for children age 2-3. 7. For family childcare (mishpachtonim), the child-staff ratio is 5:1 in publicly managed settings and 6:1 in privately managed settings. 8. For formal (publicly managed) and unofficial (privately managed) kindergartens (ganei-yeldim), group size is limited to 35 children. Child-staff ratios are 30:1 for teachers and 1 assistant for up to 30 children and 35:1 for teachers and 2 assistants for 30-35 children.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The guidelines for pre-primary education are compulsory for kindergartens. For settings for children under age 3, compliance with the developmental plan provided by the Ministry of Education (Mis’rad Ha’Chinuch) is one of the criteria assessed by supervisors.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	 To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher in a kindergarten (ganei-yeldim), a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education is required, corresponding to ISCED level 6.  In Ultra-Orthodox settings, teachers are required to complete a culturally adapted programme, corresponding to ISCED level 5.  To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher or assistant in a nursery (only in childcare centres (Meonot)), completion of 220 hours of childcare training offered by the Ministry of Education (Mis’rad Ha’Chinuch) is required, corresponding to ISCED level 4.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	For all ECEC settings, minimum yearly participation in professional development is a common practice but not required by the government.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 programmes for those under age 3, and pre-primary (ISCED 02) and primary education (ISCED 1) for those age 3-5, for purposes of international comparison.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Japan

Figure A A.9. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Japan

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.9. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Japan

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 32 Age 2: 74	Age 3: 91 Age 4: 98 Age 5: 99
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	–	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	–
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	–	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	–
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	1 728
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC3	2022	% of GDP	–	0.2
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child3	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	–	10 180
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC3	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	22
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers3	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	–	73
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Universal entitlement to some ECEC free of tuition fees. Public kindergartens, daycare centres, centres for early childhood education and care, and municipal-level childcare services are provided free of charge for all children age 3-5 as well as for some children from low‑income households age 0-2. Private settings are free up to the same amount as public settings.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	The Children and Families Agency (Kodomokateichou) is responsible for daycare centres (hoikusho) and centres for early childhood education and care (ninteikodomoen). The Ministry of Education, Culture Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakushou) is responsible for centres for early childhood education and care (ninteikodomoen) and kindergartens (youchien).
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	In daycare centres (hoikusho) and centres for early childhood education and care (ninteikodomoen), monitoring is carried out both at the regional, sub-regional and setting levels. In kindergartens (youchien), monitoring is carried out by the national government, regional or sub-regional authorities, school corporations, and social welfare corporations, which are the entities that establish and approve them.
Indicator	Description
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	Daycare centre (hoikusho) Group size: – Child-staff ratios: For children under age 1: 3:1. For 1- to 2-year-olds: 6:1. For 3-year-olds: 15:1. For 4- to 5-year-olds: 25:1. Centres for early childhood education and care (ninteikodomoen) Group size: maximum 35 children for ages 3-5 Child-staff ratios: For children under age 1: 3:1. For 1- to 2-year-olds: 6:1. For 3-year-olds: 15:1. For 4- to 5-year-olds: 25:1. For children over age 3: 1 ECEC teacher per class. Kindergartens (youchien) Group size: no more than 35 children. Child-staff ratios: 1 teacher per class.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The curriculum corresponding to each type of ECEC setting is mandatory across all setting types.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher in any of the ECEC settings, a short-cycle tertiary degree with content-specific knowledge to ECEC is required, corresponding to ISCED level 5.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff4	In daycare cwentres (hoikusho), centres for early childhood education and care (ninteikodomoen), and kindergartens (youchien), yearly participation in professional development for staff is common practice and recommended. In the public sector, kindergarten teachers and ECEC teachers in centres for early childhood education and care are obligated to participate in statutory professional development such as induction training.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Data do not cover daycare centres or centres for early childhood education and care.

4. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Morocco

Figure A A.10. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Morocco

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.10. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Morocco

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: – Age 2: –	Age 3: – Age 4-5: 71
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	–	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	–
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	–	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	–
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	–	% of GDP	–	–
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	–	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	–	–
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	–	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	–
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	–	% of local governments' share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers (final funds)	–	–
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Public preschool classes (age 4-5) (التعليم الأولي العمومي المسير من طرف شركاء القطاع) are free of charge; private provision is fee-based. Targeted programmes (e.g. through partnerships) support expansion in disadvantaged areas. Private provision (age 0-3) is fee-based.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Regulation is led by national authorities, with responsibilities split across types of provision: Public-partnered preschool education (التعليم الأولي العمومي المسير من طرف شركاء القطاع) is under the supervision of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, but delegated to associations and foundations. Private preschool is authorised by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports. Traditional Quranic schools (Kouttab, M’sid) (التعليم الأولي التقليدي (الكتاب، المسيد) are linked to the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. Nurseries and social care services partly fall under the Entraide Nationale within the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication.
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	Monitoring is led by national authorities, with responsibilities split across types of provision: Public-partnered preschool (التعليم الأولي العمومي المسير من طرف شركاء القطاع) classrooms and most private preschools are monitored by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports. Traditional Quranic schools (التعليم الأولي التقليدي) (Kouttab, M’sid) are overseen by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. Nurseries/daycare دور الحضانة)) are overseen in part by Entraide Nationale within the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication. Unregulated preschool settings (التعليم الأولي غير المهيكل) have uneven or no systematic supervision.
Indicator	Description
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	The average child-to-staff ratio is 18.8 (2023/2024); ratios vary by region and provider.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The National Curriculum Framework is being rolled out in public-partnered classrooms; most unregulated kindergartens and traditional Quranic schools (Kouttab, M’sid) remain outside its formal scope. The National Curriculum Framework is not mandatory for private preschool.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	The minimum requirements to qualify as an ECEC classroom/playroom teacher to work in public-partnered preschool classrooms are holding at least a high school diploma (ISCED level 3), being proficient in the children’s mother tongue, and in a foreign language (posséder a minima un baccalauréat [diplôme de fin du secondaire qualifiant], maîtriser la langue maternelle des enfants ainsi qu’une langue étrangère).
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	Participation is not mandated nationally and varies by provider and region; the Moroccan Foundation for the Promotion of Preschool Education organises regular annual training for its educators.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 0 and other registered programmes, for purposes of international comparison.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

New Brunswick (Canada)

Figure A A.11. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in New Brunswick (Canada)

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

2Translations are not official and the Francophone curricula are only available in French.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.11. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in New Brunswick (Canada)

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	–	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	–	–
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2025	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	Varies from 30 819 to 41 920 based on qualification levels.
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	–	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	–
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	–	% of GDP	–	–
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	–	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	–	–
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	–	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	–
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	–	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	–	–
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Designated ECEC settings that receive operational grants are required to follow a Market Fee Threshold and Standard Parent Fee Grid, which cap parent contributions and limit fee increases. Disadvantaged families are also supported through income-tested subsidies (Parent Subsidy Program and Childcare Assistance Program), and targeted inclusion funding for children with disabilities.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	Early learning and childcare facilities/garderies éducatives under the New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Child Care or the New Brunswick Francophone Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Chilcare (Curriculum éducatif Services de garde francophone du Nouveau-Brunswick) are monitored by regional or sub-regional governments. Francophone kindergarten programmes (maternelle) are monitored by the central government. Anglophone kindergarten programmes are monitored by district education authorities.
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	Licensed settings may enroll up to 60 children, with ratios and group sizes set by age: Infants (under 24 months): 3:1, max. 6. Two-year-olds: 5:1, group size: 10. Three-year-olds: 8:1, group size: 16. Four-year-olds: 10:1, group size: 20. School-age (5-12 years): 15:1, group size: 30. Mixed age groups: ratios are set for the group based on the ages of the children.
Indicator	Description
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	 The New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Child Care and the New Brunswick Francophone Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Chilcare (Curriculum éducatif Services de garde francophone du Nouveau-Brunswick) are required for use in designated early learning and childcare facilities/garderies éducatives. With the exception of school-age children, the framework is common to both anglophone and francophone sectors. In the francophone sector, a specific curriculum for school-age children exists (the Cadre d’orientation du Curriculum des garderies éducatives francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick pour les enfants d’âge scolaire). In the anglophone sector, a school-age curriculum is currently under development.  The New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Kindergarten/Curriculum maternelle is part of a broader K-8 continuum of learning. Within this continuum, the Primary curriculum applies to Grades K-2, while the Kindergarten curriculum/Curriculum maternelle is specific to the kindergarten year and is compulsory for all kindergartens/maternelles.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	Initial qualification requirements for staff differ by type of provision and age group served: In centre-based ECEC, at least half of direct-care staff, including the director or designate, are required to hold a one-year certificate, diploma or equivalent with ECEC-specific content, corresponding to ISCED level 4. Staff without this qualification are required to complete the provincial Introduction to Early Childhood Education course, which includes 30 hours of training in the New Brunswick Curriculum Framework. In home-based ECEC settings, there are no formal requirements for minimum initial educational attainment, although ECEC-specific initial education attainment is encouraged. However, providers without ECEC-specific initial education are required to complete the 30-hour Curriculum Framework training and a 60-hour orientation when working with children age 0-5. For staff exclusively working with school-age children, there are no formal requirements for ECEC-specific initial education. Out-of-province teachers with recognised ECEC credentials are also required to complete the 30‑hour Curriculum Framework training.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	For early learning and childcare facilities/garderies éducatives, participation is neither regulated nor required. For kindergartens/maternelles, participation is not mandatory, but is a common practice. Staff in designated ECEC settings are required to complete at least ten hours of professional training annually.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and other registered programmes, for purposes of international comparison.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

New Zealand

Figure A A.12. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in New Zealand

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data. No data are available from kindergartens and play centres in the sample of settings for children under age 3; data are available in the pre-primary (ISCED level 02) sample for these types of settings.

2Kōhanga Reo (language nests) are licensed providers of Māori language immersion early learning services with a wider focus on whānau (family) development.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.12. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in New Zealand

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 37 Age 2: 72	Age 3: 84 Age 4: 84 Age 5: 96
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	–	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	–
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	–	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	–
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC3	2022	% of GDP	0.3	0.3
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child3	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	9 754	9 127
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	–	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	–
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	0	0
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Children age 3-5 are entitled to 20 hours of ECEC per week without fees for families in centre-based settings.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Ministry of Education
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	Ministry of Education
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	Centre-based and hospital-based services:  Children under age 2: ❏ All-day and sessional provision: 5:1.  Children age 2 and over: ❏ All-day provision: for settings with less than 7 children it is 6:1, for settings with 7 or more children it is 10:1. ❏ Sessional provision: for settings with less than 9 children it is 8:1, for settings with 9 or more children it is 15:1.  Mixed age groups: For up to 3 children of mixed ages it is 3:1, for more than 3 children of mixed ages staffing is calculated as the sum of minimum requirements for each age group. Home-based services:  Children under age 2: 2:1.  Children age 2 and over: 4:1.  Mixed age groups: 4:1.
Indicator	Description
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The curriculum corresponding to each type of ECEC setting is compulsory across all settings.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	There is no minimum qualification for staff in centre-based or hospital-based services; however, at least 50% of required staff must hold a recognised qualification, typically a degree-level qualification in early childhood education, corresponding to ISCED level 6. Services are incentivised through the funding system to employ a higher proportion of certificated teachers, with higher funding rates provided per child hour when more qualified staff are employed. In home-based services, educators are required to hold at least a Level 4 home-based qualification or to be working towards it within six months of starting employment, equivalent to ISCED level 4.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff4	Yearly participation in professional development for staff is common practice but not regulated in kindergartens and home- and centre-based education and care settings. It is neither regulated nor required for play centres.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 0 and other registered programmes, for purposes of international comparison.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Expenditure includes government sources excluding private and domestic spending.

4. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Norway

Figure A A.13. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Norway

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.13. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Norway

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 45 Age 2: 95	Age 3: 97 Age 4: 97 Age 5: 97
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	58 126
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	5 493
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.9	0.9
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	38 835	21 575
Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	13	13
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	100	100
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Universal entitlement to some ECEC free of tuition fees
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Ministry of Education and Research (Kunnskapsdepartementet)
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	Regional and sub-regional governments
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	No regulation on group size. Child-staff ratio: for children under age 3: 3:1. for children age 3 and above: 6:1. In addition, the pedagogue norm sets requirements for teacher staffing. Kindergartens (barnehange) are required to employ at least one qualified teacher for every 7 children under age 3 and one qualified teacher for every 14 children age 3 and above.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	Compulsory for all settings and groups.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	ECEC classroom/playroom teachers are required to hold a preschool teacher qualification or another three‑year pedagogical degree with additional training in early childhood education, corresponding to ISCED 6.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	Not mandatory, but participation each year is common practice.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Quebec (Canada)

Figure A A.14. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Quebec (Canada)

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong data 2024.

2Kindergarten (maternelle) comprises children who have reached the age of 4 within the 12 months preceding 30 September of the current school year. This group is not included in the present overview.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.14. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Quebec (Canada)

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2024	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 58 Age 2: 77	Age 3: 78 Age 4: – Age 5: –
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD3 converted using PPPs for private consumption.	Varies between USD 34 512 and USD 40 262 based on qualification levels.
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	–	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD3 converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	–
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC4	2024	% of GDP	0.9
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2024	In equivalent USD3 converted using PPPs for GDP	USD 11 939	–
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	–	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	–
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	–	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers (final funds)	–	–
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	 Subsidised ECEC settings, including both centre-based and home-based settings, charge a regulated daily fee, with reduced rates available for lower income families through additional financial assistance.  Non-subsidised settings, including both centre-based and home-based settings, set their own fees, but parents may receive refundable tax credits based on income.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	The government of Quebec is responsible for establishing the legal and regulatory framework related to the ECEC settings, according to the Educational Childcare Act (Section 106, Educational Childcare Act, Chapter S-4.1.1).
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	The ministry overseeing family-related matters (Ministère de la Famille du Québec) is directly responsible for monitoring and ensuring compliance with the legal and regulatory framework. For home-based educational childcare services (garde éducative en milieu familial), the co-ordinating offices for home-based educational childcare, which are accredited by the ministry overseeing family-related matters, are responsible for ensuring compliance with the standards and conditions required for recognition. The government of Quebec also works closely with certain Indigenous partner organisations, to whom it has delegated specific responsibilities for monitoring and enforcing the legal and regulatory framework for certain indigenous ECEC services.
Indicator	Description
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	 For centre-based settings (centre de la petite enfance/garderie éducative): 100 children maximum per setting, based on the capacity of the space and distributed according to defined age groups. In addition, centre-based settings are required to respect the following child-staff ratios: ❏ 5:1 for children under 18 months. ❏ 8:1 for children 18 months to under 4 years. ❏ 10:1 for children aged 4-5 years. ❏ 20:1 for children aged 5 years and older.  For home-based settings (garde éducatif en milieu familial): 6 children per setting if a provider is working alone; 9 children per setting if the provider is assisted by another adult.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	Each childcare service is required to implement its educational programme, which reflects its mission, values and vision. This programme outlines the guidelines for educational intervention and includes information to guide the educational staff. It is recommended that educational programmes be inspired by the reference framework Welcoming Early Childhood (Acceuillir la petite enfance).
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	 For centre-based settings (centre de la petite enfance/garderie éducative): A minimum of an ISCED level 5 diploma specialised in early childhood education or equivalent is required.  For home-based settings (garde éducatif en milieu familial): If the provider does not hold an ISCED level 5 diploma, they are required to complete at least 45 hours of training in health, safety, nutrition, child development and the educational programme.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff5	 For centre-based settings (centre de la petite enfance/garderie éducative): Participation in professional development is not regulated or required.  For home-based settings (garde éducatif en milieu familial): Participation in professional development is required at least for six hours annually to maintain setting status.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Information was provided by Quebec in Canadian dollars (CAD) and was converted to US dollars (USD) using PPPs for private consumption reference year 2023 as provided by Education at a Glance 2025, see Annex A sources.

4. Expenditure on ECEC was provided by Quebec as CAD 3.8 billion, plus CAD 0.2 billion in subsidies for infrastructure investments, for the period April 2023 to March 2024. To calculate expenditure as a share of GDP, the provincial GDP was averaged across 2023 (CAD 437 230 million) and 2024 (CAD 442 865 million), resulting in CAD 440 048 million. The expenditure figure of CAD 4.0 billion was then divided by the average GDP. Source for GDP: Statistics Canada, Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by industry, province and territory.

5. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Spain

Figure A A.15. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Spain

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.15. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Spain

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 33 Age 2: 71	Age 3: 97 Age 4: 98 Age 5: 98
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	59 291
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	0
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	1 406
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	2023	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	854
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.2	0.5
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	11 886	10 263
Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	25	12
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	11	10
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Universal entitlement to some ECEC free of tuition fees.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educacion)
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	The educational authorities of the autonomous communities are responsible for monitoring ECEC settings in public and government-funded private schools.
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	For early childhood education – first cycle (Educación infantil – Primer ciclo), the child-staff ratio varies depending on the autonomous community and age group: for children under 1 year old: the ratios vary from 6:1 to 8:1. for 1-year-old children: the ratios vary from 10:1 to 14:1. for 2-year-old children: the ratios vary from 16:1 to 20:1. Early childhood education – second cycle (Educación infantil – Segundo ciclo), Article 7 of Royal Decree 132/2010 establishes a maximum of 25 pupils per class group and teacher.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The organisation and minimum curriculum requirements for ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 are regulated at the national level by Royal Decree 95/2022. Building on these national requirements, the educational authorities of the autonomous communities, through their respective regional ministries and departments of education, develop the ECEC curriculum for both levels.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher in an early childhood care and education setting, a short-cycle tertiary degree with content-specific knowledge of ECEC is required, corresponding to ISCED level 5. To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher in a pre-primary setting, a bachelor’s degree with content-specific knowledge of ECEC is required, corresponding to ISCED level 6.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	–

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Sweden

Figure A A.16. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Sweden

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.16. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Sweden

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2024	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 52 Age 2: 92	Age 3: 95 Age 4: 96 Age 5: 96
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2, 3 after ten years of experience	2023	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	51 136
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2, 3 in primary and pre‑primary after ten years of experience	2023	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	3 418
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	–	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	–
Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	–	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	–
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	0.5	1.1
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	23 242	16 494
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	6	6
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2021	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	100	–
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	Universal entitlement to some ECEC free of tuition fees.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	Ministry of Education and Research (Utbildningsdepartementet)
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	Municipalities are responsible for monitoring private ECEC settings in their municipality and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) is responsible for monitoring the settings on a municipality level.
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	There is no regulation for the group size; however, the Swedish National Agency for Education recommends 6-12 children per group aged 1-3 years. For children aged 4-5 years, the guideline is 9-15 children per group. There is no regulation or guideline for child-staff ratios.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	The Curriculum for the Preschool (Läroplan för förskolan) applies to preschools (förskola) and preschool classes (förskoleklass). Pedagogical care (pedagogisk omsorg), regulated under “other pedagogical activities” in the Education Act (Skollagen), has no separate curriculum, but the preschool curriculum serves as guidance.
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	To qualify as a childminder for pedagogical care (pedagogisk omsorg), there are no formal educational qualification requirements. To become a classroom/playroom teacher in a preschool setting (förskola and förskoleklass), a bachelor’s degree with content-specific knowledge related to ECEC is required, corresponding to ISCED level 6.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff4	There is no regulation mandating annual professional development. The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) provides subsidies to municipalities to support staff training, but participation is voluntary.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ECEC services, including ISCED 0 and other registered programmes, for purposes of international comparison. Pre-primary education in Sweden also includes children aged 6 and the other indicators in this profile reflect the situation for the full age-range of the pre-primary education system.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Data exclude social security contributions and pension scheme contributions paid by employees.

4. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Türkiye

Figure A A.17. Organisation of the early childhood education and care system in Türkiye

1Settings with lighter colours are not included in the TALIS Starting Strong 2024 data.

Note: ECEC: early childhood education and care.

Table A A.17. Overview of early childhood education and care system-level indicators in Türkiye

Indicator	Year	Description	Under age 3	Age 3-5
1. Enrolment in ECEC
1.1. Enrolment rates1	2023	% of children enrolled in ECEC services including ISCED and other registered programmes	Under 2: 0 Age 2: 2	Age 3: 15 Age 4: 43 Age 5: 98
2. Working conditions
2.1. Statutory salary of teachers2 after ten years of experience	2024	Annual salary of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings, in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption.	–	64 442
2.2. Gap in statutory salary between teachers2 in primary and pre-primary after ten years of experience	2024	Difference in annual salaries of full-time teachers in public ECEC settings and primary schools in equivalent USD converted using PPPs for private consumption. A positive value indicates that primary school teachers earn more than ECEC teachers after ten years of experience.	–	0
2.3. Total statutory working time for teachers2 per school year	2023	Statutory working time refers to the annual number of hours that a full-time teacher is expected to work as set by policy.	–	1 584
2.4. Statuary net teaching time	2023	Teaching time is calculated as the net contact time in hours per year for instruction excluding both times allocated for lunch breaks or short morning or afternoon breaks and days that the school is closed for holidays.	–	898
3. Expenditure and funding
3.1. Expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of GDP	–	0.2
3.2. Expenditure on ECEC per child	2022	In equivalent USD converted using PPPs for GDP	–	4 163
3.3. Share of private expenditure on ECEC	2022	% of expenditure by households and other private entities after transfers from public sources	–	18
3.4. Local government share of expenditure after inter-governmental transfers	2022	% of local governments’ share of expenditure after inter‑governmental transfers (final funds)	–	2
3.5. Fee regulations and targeted support	ECEC is free for children over age three. Families may pay a contribution fee for basic needs and programme implementation, except low-income families who are exempt. Targeted supports include conditional cash transfers to encourage enrolment, stationary assistance for disadvantaged children and free textbooks for all children.
4. Governance
4.1. Responsibility for setting a regulatory framework	The Ministry of National Education (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı) is responsible for setting a regulatory framework for ECEC settings. The Ministry of Family and Social Services (Aile ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı) is responsible for the regulation and licensing of childcare centres (özel kreş ve gündüz bakımevleri).
4.2. Responsibility for monitoring settings	–
5. Quality standards
5.1. Group size and child-staff ratios	For pre-primary settings, group size is up to 20 children (can vary depending on indoor space) and the child-staff ratio is 18:1. For pre-primary settings under the Ministry of Family and Social Sciences group size for 0-24 months is up to 10 and group size for 25-66 months is up to 20.
5.2. Coverage of curriculum frameworks	Curriculum frameworks prepared for different ECEC programmes are compulsory.
Indicator	Description
6. Workforce development
6.1. Minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers2	To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher in an early childhood care and education setting, an upper secondary level education is required, corresponding to ISCED level 3. To qualify as a classroom/playroom teacher in a pre‑primary setting, a bachelor’s degree with content-specific knowledge in ECEC required, corresponding to ISCED level 6.
6.2. Yearly participation in professional development for staff3	For all ECEC settings, minimum yearly participation in professional development is a common practice but not required by the government.

1. Enrolment rates include the number of children enrolled in ISCED 01 and ISCED 02 programmes.

2. Teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred to as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners. They have varying levels of qualification across countries but are generally expected to hold qualifications commensurate with the professional nature of their work, often a tertiary degree.

3. Staff refers to individuals whose professional activity involves the care and transmission of knowledge, attitudes and skills to children enrolled in an ECEC setting. This definition does not depend on the qualification held by the ECEC staff or on the delivery mechanism. ECEC staff may include teachers, educators, assistants or staff working with individual children, among other categories.

Notes: ECEC: early childhood education and care; ISCED: International Standard Classification of Education; PPP: purchasing power parity; GDP: gross domestic product.

Sources

Enrolment rates

Data on enrolment rates (Indicator 1.1) are drawn from the 2024 UNESCO/OECD/Eurostat (UOE) data collection on education systems, conducted annually by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the OECD; and Eurostat for all OECD Member and Partner countries, and published in Education at a Glance 2025 (OECD, 2025[1]). Data for Quebec (Canada), the Flemish Community of Belgium, and Morocco were collected for this report through members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong from the respective countries and subnational entities.

Working conditions

Data on statutory salaries (Indicator 2.1) come from the 2024 Joint Eurydice-OECD data collection on salaries of teachers and school heads, as published in Education at a Glance 2025 (OECD, 2025[1]). For the purposes of that data collection, teachers are the individuals with the most responsibility for a group of children at the classroom or playroom level and may be referred as pedagogues, educators or childcare practitioners.

Statutory salaries are reported for teachers with the most prevalent qualification after ten years of experience in their career, in national currencies and converted into USD using purchasing power parities (PPPs) for private consumption from the OECD National Accounts database. The gap in statutory salaries between pre-primary and primary teachers after ten years of experience (Indicator 2.2) was calculated for this report based on the same source. Data for the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec were collected for this report through members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong from New Brunswick and Quebec, reported in national currencies, and converted into USD using PPPs for private consumption, reference year 2023, as provided by Education at a Glance 2025 (see Table X2.8) (OECD, 2025[2]).

Data on teachers’ total statuary working time (Indicator 2.3) and statuary net teaching time (Indicator 2.4) come from the biennial system-level data collection of the INES NESLI Network on teaching and working time of teachers as published in Education at a Glance 2024 (OECD, 2024[3]). Sources of the data provided by the national and subnational representatives for the INES NESLI Network data collection are presented in Table X3.D4.1 (OECD, 2024[3]).

Expenditure and funding

Data on expenditure on early childhood education and care (ECEC) as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) (Indicator 3.1), expenditure on ECEC per child (Indicator 3.2), the share of private expenditure (Indicator 3.3) and the local government share of public expenditure after inter-governmental transfers (Indicator 3.4) are drawn from the 2024 UOE data collection (OECD, 2025[1]). For integrated International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 01 and 02 systems, expenditure is allocated between levels using national methods or, where unavailable, relative group sizes.

The indicator on expenditure on ECEC (Indicator 3.1) includes both public and private sources, covering current and capital expenditure on ECEC institutions. The indicator is calculated by dividing total expenditure on ECEC institutions by GDP in the same reference year, expressed as a percentage. Expenditure data are reported in national currencies and converted into USD using PPPs for GDP from the OECD National Accounts database for international comparability. For the Flemish Community of Belgium, expenditure on ECEC was provided by the members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong. Expenditure on ECEC for Quebec (Canada) was provided by the members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong for the period April 2023-March 2024. To calculate expenditure as a share of GDP, the provincial GDP was sourced from national statistics and averaged across 2023 and 2024 (Statistics Canada, 2025[4]). The expenditure figure was then divided by the average GDP for these two years.

The indicator on ECEC expenditure per child (Indicator 3.2) is calculated by dividing total expenditure on ECEC institutions by the number of children enrolled at the corresponding level of education (OECD, 2025[1]). Expenditure figures are reported in national currencies and converted into USD using PPPs for GDP; enrolment data refer to the same reference year to ensure consistency. For the Flemish Community of Belgium, expenditure on ECEC per child was provided by the members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong. For Quebec (Canada), expenditure on ECEC per child was provided by members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong and converted into USD using PPPs for private consumption reference year 2023 as provided by Education at a Glance 2025 (see Table X2.8) (OECD, 2025[2]).

The indicator on the share of private expenditure (Indicator 3.3) refers to the proportion of total spending on ECEC institutions derived from private sources, mainly household payments for tuition, ancillary services and other private contributions (OECD, 2025[1]). It is calculated by dividing total private expenditure by the sum of public and private expenditure on ECEC institutions at each ISCED level, expressed as a percentage. The indicator on the local government share (Indicator 3.4) measures the proportion of public expenditure financed directly by local authorities after accounting for transfers from higher levels of government. For the Flemish Community of Belgium, the share of private expenditure and the local government share was provided by the members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong.

Data for the indicator on the fee regulations and targeted support (Indicator 3.5) were collected for this report through members of the Informal Group on TALIS Starting Strong from the respective countries and subnational entities.

Governance, quality standards and workforce development

Data for the indicators on governance (Indicators 4.1 and 4.2), quality standards (Indicators 5.1 and 5.2) and workforce development (Indicator 6.2) are primarily drawn from Starting Strong VI: Supporting Meaningful Interactions in Early Childhood Education and Care and the accompanying Starting Strong: Mapping Quality in ECEC database, developed by the OECD between 2018 and 2021 (OECD, 2021[5]; 2021[6]). For the purposes of this report, the data were recirculated to countries and subnational entities for verification, completion of missing information and updates to reflect recent policy developments. Countries that did not participate in the original data collection, including Colombia, Morocco, Spain and Sweden, provided system-level information specifically for the purposes of this report.

Data for minimum initial educational attainment required for ECEC classroom/playroom teachers (Indicator 6.1) are drawn from the OECD Education at a Glance ECEC Dashboard, which compiles information from the ISCED questionnaire (ISCMAP) administered by the UOE data collection (OECD, 2025[1]). For the purposes of this report, the data were circulated again to countries and subnational entities for verification and to provide qualification requirements for non-ISCED programmes that are beyond the scope of the ISCMAP questionnaire. Countries and subnational entities that did not participate in the original data collection, including Morocco and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec, provided information on the qualification requirements specifically for the purposes of this report.

References

[1] OECD (2025), Education at a Glance 2025 Sources, Methodologies and Technical Notes, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/fcfaf2d1-en.

[2] OECD (2025), Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en.

[3] OECD (2024), Education at a Glance 2024: Sources, Methodologies and Technical Notes, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/e7d20315-en.

[5] OECD (2021), Starting Strong Mapping Quality in ECEC: Methodology, OECD, Paris, https://quality-ecec.oecd.org/assets/files/methodology.pdf.

[6] OECD (2021), Starting Strong VI: Supporting Meaningful Interactions in Early Childhood Education and Care, Starting Strong, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/f47a06ae-en.

[4] Statistics Canada (2025), “Table: 36-10-0402-01: Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by industry, provinces and territories (x 1,000,000) [data set]”, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610040201.