![]() ![]() Later in the 1840s, crèches (day care center organization of adults who take care of children in place of their parents) providing childcare for children under 3 years of age, poor children of unmarried mothers were established. ![]() The guiding philosophy of the children’s institutions those early charities supported by private sectors was that investments in these children would yield future benefits for society. The Norwegian kindergarten’s history Footnote 3 begins in the first half of the 19th century with the establishment of asylums for poor children (Norwegian: “barneasyl”). The purpose clause of the Kindergarten Act presented below spells out the social mandate and the basic values that should form the foundation of the kindergartens (Ministry of Education and Research, 2011b:13). These regulations apply, among other things, to how kindergartens are to be staffed and operated. The current Kindergarten Act of 2005 provides clearer regulations for the roles and tasks of kindergartens and of kindergarten authorities. The first Kindergarten Act in Norway was introduced in 1975. Footnote 2 The Kindergarten Act - purpose In 2004 the Government decided that the fee for having children in kindergartens should not exceed a certain sum. In 2002, 9% of mothers believed that kindergarten was the best option for their 1 year-olds, while the proportion in 2010 was 18% (Utdanningsdirektoratet 2013). All public education in Norway is free of charge, while kindergartens have parental fees (Ministry of Education and Research, 2011a). A keystone of Norwegian educational policy is that children and young people have an equal right to education, regardless of where they live, gender, social and cultural background or any special needs. Kindergartens in Norway are for children up to the age of 5 years and are integrated into the national educational system. Norwegian Kindergartens - some key aspects ![]() This was followed by a White Paper (No 24, 2012–2013) discussing the government’s objectives for future kindergartens. This latter issue is central to the parliamentary White Paper (No 41, 2008–2009) that focused exclusively on the quality of kindergartens in Norway. We will also touch upon discussions about kindergartens focused on the dimension of quantity (numbers of kindergartens) versus that of quality (the kindergarten’s content and tasks). We describe issues connected to professional standards of kindergartens and what research has shown about them. We will present here the important elements of the Norwegian kindergarten system play, learning, care and formation, historical background, two key policy programs parental leave and cash for benefit and the research and development work for the Norwegian kindergarten system, in order to give background for, and to understand it. This has led to a sharpened political focus on both kindergartens and schools. One of the most debated questions in the Norwegian political arena is focused on how children are to be raised. As we shall point out, today’s kindergarten sector faces a number of major challenges. On the contrary, the debates are often hotly argued and loaded with values and priorities, ranging from whether parents shall receive cash benefit for not using the kindergarten to questions concerning the kindergarten’s content. This does not mean, however, that there is consensus in Norwegian society and political parties about kindergartens. Kindergartens are mandated by the state to provide children with beneficial opportunities for development and activities in close collaboration and understanding with the children’s parents (ibid). ![]() The government’s main goal for its kindergarten policy is the provision of available and affordable kindergarten places of high quality. The Kindergarten reform is one of the most important and extensive steps taken by the Norwegian welfare state in recent decades. Both Norwegian and international research show that high quality kindergartens have a positive impact on children’s development, and that the impact lasts a lifetime (Ministry of Education and Research, 2013a). In the course of the last four decades, the kindergarten sector has developed from being a possibility for few to a universal right for all children. In today’s Norwegian society, kindergartens Footnote 1 are regarded as important by most people as well as by the government, politicians, professionals, researchers and organizations. ![]()
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