In Au g u st of 1998, the first Na tiona l Cu rricu lu m for pre-school (Lpfö 98) ca m e into effect, m a k ing the pre-school a first step in the Sw edish edu ca tiona l system . Overa ll, the edu ca tiona l system now com prise three
cu rricu la , one for the pre-school, a second for the com pu lsory school (g ra des 1-9) a lso covering the pre-school cla ss for 6-yea r olds, a nd a third for the u pper seconda ry school (g ra des 10 -12). The three cu rricu la a re link ed by a sha red view on k now ledge, developm ent a nd lea rning , a nd cover the first 20 yea rs of the life-long lea rning -philosophy of the Sw edish society.
The Na tiona l Cu rricu lu m for pre-school is ba sed on a division of responsibilities, w here the Sta te determ ines the overa ll g oa ls a nd gu idelines for ECEC, a nd w here the 289 m u nicipa lities a re responsible for im plem enta tion of these g oa ls. The cu rricu lu m does not specify the m ea ns by w hich specific g oa ls a re to be a chieved; this is som ething left for the loca l org a nisers a nd the personnel w ork ing in the ECEC-setting s to decide u pon, a nd to tra nsla te into d a ily a ctivities in the pre-schools, idea lly in co-opera - tion w ith the pa rents.
G oa ls a nd gu idelines for the pre-schools a re provided in the follow ing a rea s: (a ) norm s a nd va lu es, (b) developm ent a nd lea rning , (c) influ ence of the child, (d) pre-school a nd hom e, a nd (e) co-opera tion betw een pre-schools a nd the pre-school cla ss, the school a nd the leisu re-tim e centre. The g oa ls a nd gu idelines of the cu rricu lu m a re a ddressed not only to those w ork ing in the pre-school, bu t a lso to the w ork tea m i.e. personnel w ith peda g og ica l responsibilities for the children. The g oa ls in the pre-school cu rricu lu m a re defined a s g oa ls to be a im ed a t ra ther tha n explicitly a chieved in term s of the individu a l developm ent a nd lea rning of the child. Individu a l child ou tcom es w ill not be form a lly a ssessed in term s of g ra des a nd eva lu a tions, since children m ight a ttend pre-school a t different a g es over va rying periods of tim e. The cu rricu lu m tra nsfers over entirely to the professiona ls the responsibility for choosing a nd developing m ethods to a chieve the g oa ls. The new cu rricu lu m repla ces the 1987 “Edu ca tiona l Prog ra m for Pre- schools”, w hich w a s issu ed by the Na tiona l Boa rd of Hea lth a nd W elfa re, the su pervisory a u thority for pre-school a ctivities u ntil 1998, w hen the Na tiona l Ag ency for Edu ca tion took over tha t responsibility. This w a s a lso w hen leg isla tion rela ted to pre-school a ctivities w a s incorpora ted into the School Act.
An im porta nt com ponent of the cu rricu lu m for the pre-school w hich it sha res w ith the other cu rricu la is the introdu ctory section on fou nda tion va lu es. G rea ter em pha sis is pu t in the cu rricu lu m on the pre-school a nd school w ork ing on the ba sis of sha red fou nda tion va lu es b a sed on dem ocra tic principles, su ch a s responsibility, equ a lity, a nd solid a rity w hich a re to perm ea te a ll w ork a nd a pply to a ll sta ff. This is a lso now a n issu e for the pre-school a nd school a nd high u p on the politica l a g enda in Sw eden.
The pre-school’s cu rricu lu m bu ilds on a view of the child a s com petent a nd w ith grea t inner resou rces, ca pa ble of form u la ting its ow n theories a bou t the w orld, discovering a nd exploring its im m edia te su rrou nding s a nd developing confidence in its ow n a bilities. Children crea ting their ow n k now led g e presu pposes a dia log u e a nd a reflective a ttitu de on the pa rt of a du lts to the child’s lea rning processes. The peda g og ica l w ork involves encou ra g ing children to qu estion, form hypotheses a nd theories a nd u se their im a g ina tion a nd to observe how they sea rch for a nsw ers a nd g ive m ea ning to their d a ily rea lity. It a lso dea ls w ith gu iding , crea ting situ a tions a nd u sing opportu nities tha t ca n cha lleng e the child’s think ing a nd theories. The cu rricu lu m a lso bu ilds on the view tha t children ha ve their ow n rights a nd respect for the child a s a person a nd m em ber of society.
The view of k now ledge, lea rning a nd the holistic view on w hich the cu rricu - lu m is ba sed ru ns throu gh the w hole of the edu ca tiona l system from pre- school a nd u pw a rds. This view of lea rning is ba sed on the fa ct tha t k now led g e ta k es different form s, su ch a s fa cts, u ndersta nding , sk ills a nd fa m ilia rity a nd tha t there is a lso a dyna m ic in a nd betw een these form s. Im - plicit in this view is tha t the indu striou s child is cu riou s a nd bu ilds u nder- sta nding throu g h its ow n a ctions, in a d ia log w ith its su rrou nding s a nd throu g h receiving su pport in testing its ow n theories. This holistic view m ea ns m a k ing u se of the fu ll ra ng e of the child’s a bilities, not ju st intellectu a l, bu t a lso physica l, pra ctica l- crea tive a nd socia l sk ills.
The ba sic principle of the pre-school peda g og ica l tra dition w hich ha s been developed over the yea rs ca n be su m m a rised in five m a in points.
• Continu ou s lea rning a nd developm ent - child’s developm ent a nd lea rning ta k es pla ce continu ou sly a nd in close co-opera tion w ith the su rrou nding s. Children lea rn the w hole tim e a nd w ith a ll their senses. This m ea ns tha t specific tim es or situ a tions ca nnot be set a side for w hen lea rning shou ld occu r. It a lso, m ea ns tha t children a bsorb the w hole of a thou g ht or beha viou ra l pa ttern representing a specific situ a tion.
• Pla y a nd them e oriented w a ys of w ork ing - pla y is of fu nd a m enta l im porta nce for children a nd constitu tes the ba sis for pre-school a ctivity. Think ing , im a g ina tion, crea tivity, la ng u a g e, a nd co-opera tion a re developed. By them e-oriented w ork ing , the children’s opportu nities to u ndersta nd inter-rela tionships contexts a nd test their ow n theories a bou t their su rrou nding s a re streng thened
• Link ing to the child’s ow n experiences a nd k now ledge - w hen children a re g oing to lea rn som ething new , they m u st be a ble to rela te it to w ha t they a lrea dy k now , h a ve experienced a nd a re interested in.
• The peda g og ica l im porta nce of ca re - ca re is of pivota l im porta nce for the child to feel w ell, a nd is thu s a precondition for developm ent a nd lea rning . C a re, especia lly for you ng er children, a lso ha s a peda g og ica l ele- m ent, since it provides the experiences a nd k now ledg e throu g h w hich children g et to k now them selves a nd the su rrou nding w orld.
• Developm ent in g rou ps - children need to experience joy w ith ea ch other to lea rn a nd develop. The child’s need for other children ca nnot be repla ced by a du lts or toys. The child grou p is a n a sset in itself. W hen ea ch child is recog nised a nd va lida ted by a du lts a s the person it is, it ca n then a lso be a w ell-fu nctioning m em ber of the g rou p.
The pre-school’s cu rricu lu m specifies the requ irem ents the sta te im poses on a ctivities a nd a s a resu lt w ha t dem a nds children a nd pa rents ca n a lso im pose on the pre-school. The cu rricu lu m m a k es the pre-school m ore a ccessible to eva lu a tion a nd qu a lity a ssessm ent throu g h na tiona lly determ ined g oa ls a nd g u idelines. The cu rricu lu m pla ys a n im porta nt role in developing qu a lity in the peda g og ica l w ork of the pre-school.