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THE EARLY CHILDHOOD

EDUCATION AND CARE

WORKFORCE IN EUROPE Country Reports

Dr. Verity Campbell-Barr Marie Curie Research Fellow, Faculty of Child & Adult Education, University of Debrecen, Hungary.

Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, Institute of Education, Plymouth University, UK.

This report has been completed as a part of the Marie Curie Research Fellowship Funded by the European Commission under the Grant Agreement 657512 — ECECWorkforce

May 2016

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Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Finland ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

Training Profile .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Identified Concerns ............................................................................................................................... 4

France............................................................................................................................................................ 5



Hungary ......................................................................................................................................................... 7



Ireland ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

Training Profile ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Identified Concerns ............................................................................................................................. 10

Italy ............................................................................................................................................................. 12



Romania ...................................................................................................................................................... 14



Discussion.................................................................................................................................................... 16

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Introduction The enclosed country reports present an overview of the training requirements for working in early

childhood education and care (ECEC) in six countries: Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and

Romania. The reports focus on matters relating to the ECEC workforce, such as minimum qualification

levels and the types of professional roles that relate to working with children prior to them entering

school. The data is obtained from a number of cross-Europe reports on ECEC and the ECEC workforce, as

well as country specific data from the reports presented on the Eurydice website

(https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Early_Childhood_Education_and_Care)

but there are variations in when this data has been updated from December 2014 to January 2016.

Additional country specific data was obtained from a literature search that used the search term ‘early

childhood education and care workforce’ in an English based search engine. The search was limited by

the use of English literature, so to supplement the literature identified the same search term was used

in two leading ECEC journals: Early Years and the European Early Childhood Research Journal. In addition

literature on the respective countries was searched for in the same two journals.

The reports present an overview of each country, before going on to consider the strengths and

weaknesses of the ECEC workforce requirements as identified in the literature for the respective

countries. Within the report services for children from three to school age are referred to as

kindergartens, with native names being provided as well. Often the native names are translated as

preschools, but this term is not used as a translation as the ‘school’ connotation is not relevant in many

countries, as is evident in the summaries of the approaches adopted in the six countries.

https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Early_Childhood_Education_and_Care

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Finland

Policy Approach Strong state support for parents and well developed 0-3 provision* Strong kindergarten provision.

ECEC Policy Model Unitary Strong educare model. Parents have the right to stay at home until a child is three, so attendance at ECEC is low. **** Preprimary is compulsory the year before school. School starts at seven.

Policy Implementation Municipal

ECEC Funding Education is almost entirely publically funded. 11% total expenditure.

ECEC Workforce Profile

One in three members of staff must have a degree. Kindergarten teachers much have a BA or MA in Education or Social Science. Other staff have vocational upper secondary qualifications. Teachers can freely choose the methods and materials in line with the goals of steering documents and in support of the learning and well-being of children.

ECEC Workforce Roles***

Lastentarhanopettaja Kindergarten teacher with a three year degree. Can work in Early Childhood Centres or pre-primary transition classes.

Sosionomi Social Pedagogue with a Polytechnic bachelor degree. Can work in social welfare, youth work etc. and Early Childhood Centres.

Lastenhoitaja Children's nurse, nursery nurse with three year post-secondary training. Can work in Early Childhood Centres.

Lastenhjaaja Playgroup Instructor with an upper secondary qualification in childcare. Can become a playgroup leader and work in playgroups and Early Childhood Centres or out of school care.

* OECD (2006) ** Eurofound (2015) *** Oberheumer et al (2010) **** OECD: Finland (2015)

The administration of kindergarten education belongs to the Ministry of Education and Culture, with the

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health being responsible for daycare centres (Lindebook and Buiskool,

2013). Daycare is considered a part of social and family policy and only more recently a part of

education policy (Karilia, 2008). The welfare model provides parents with a home care allowance for

those parents who wish to stay at home to care for their children or the cost of daycare is paid for by the

government (Lindeboom and Buiskool, 2013). A report by the Economic Intelligence Unit (2012) ranked

Finland in first place for the quality of ECEC based on a comprehensive and effective ECEC strategy, a

clear legal right to kindergarten education, subsidies for under privileged families, ratios of under 15

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students per teacher, well trained teachers, parental involvement in schools, high participation rates,

well-defined curriculum standards and children being healthy and nourished. In addition the report

praises the autonomy given to teachers as a result of strong institutional trust in them. The report

represents the global recognition of Finland’s education system, with other reports acknowledging

Finland’s performance in global comparisons of education performance.

Training Profile The development of qualification routes in ECEC in Finland is regarded as comprehensive and part of a

coordinated approach to ECEC service delivery (Urban et al, 2012). Degrees for Kindergarten teachers

were introduced in 1995 (Urban et al, 2012; Karilia, 2008), but only a third of staff are required to hold a

degree. Masters degrees are available and are generally expected of directors, but it is not a

requirement (Karilia, 2008). Kindergarten teachers are required to train for three years to get a Bachelor

degree that represents an ‘educare’ model. Finnish teachers place a strong emphasis on developing

children’s positive self-concept and social skills and promoting their learning potential (Peterson et al,

2016 p150).

Universities shared the idea of the teacher as a researcher, whereby students are to become aware of

their actions as well as evaluating and developing them (Onnismaa et al, 2015). Placements are a strong

feature of the training of kindergarten pedagogues and go from initial observations of children and the

kindergarten teacher, to planning, implementing and evaluating and later introducing the development

of relationships with parents. Placements also support students to become aware of administration

responsibilities and multi-professional working. Theoretical courses take place prior to the practical

training to help inform the practice (Onnismaa et al, 2015). There is a double supervision model

whereby the student receives feedback on their practice from both a university teacher and an

experienced kindergarten teacher. However, the double supervision model is time consuming

(Onnismaa et al, 2015).

Identified Concerns The graduate members of the workforce can come from an education or social science background and

may not always be specialised in ECEC. Urban et al (2012) identify that it can be difficult to recruit

graduates with a specialisation in early years pedagogy, whilst Oberheumer et al (2010) have identified

that a shortage of staff has resulted in those with polytechnic degrees being employed in ECEC and that

they may not have specialised in ECEC pedagogy. There is also evidence of regional variation in the

degrees favoured by different municipalities (Bachelor of Education, Master of Education, or Bachelor of

Social Science) again raising concerns that there are Finnish day-care centres that have no staff with a

pedagogical qualification (Karilia, 2008). The concern with the lack of staff with a specialism in ECEC

relates to how there is a broad range of subjects being studied by those who will go on to work in ECEC.

There is also the potential that ECEC is not regarded as a desirable profession as pre-primary teachers

have comparatively low salaries, earning 68% of a full-time, full-year, similarly educated workers salary,

but they do receive additional bonuses (OECD: Finland, 2015).

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France

Policy Approach Moderate state support for children under three* with a long history of kindergarten provision

ECEC Policy Model Split Non-state care for under threes and state kindergartens for three + (and some two year olds). Children are entitled to a kindergarten place from age three Children start school at six.

Policy Implementation Municipal

ECEC Funding 0.7% of GDP in 2012 was spent on early childhood education. Low rates of private expenditure on early childhood education when compared to OECD countries.***

ECEC Workforce Profile The split models sees école maternelle are staffed by teachers who have a Masters alongside assistants. They are paid by the local municipality and there are some regional differences in activities and expectations. There is a curriculum, but staff can choose the pedagogical approach.** Daycare centres have a quarter of staff with a qualification and a quarter are exempt from qualifications. **

ECEC Workforce Roles**

Professor des écoles

School teacher with a three year degree + two year MA (one year exam preparation + one year professional training at a training institute with university status). Can work in École maternelle or École élémentaire. Specialised exam to qualify - student undertake 1500-1700 hours preparation. Those who pass the exam go on to 450 hours (approx.) of professional training.

Puéricultrice Paediatric nurse qualified as a registered nurse or midwife with three or four years respectively of training + one year at école de puériculture. Work in creche based settings.

Auxiliaire de puériculture

Assistant child nurse qualified at Diploma level to work in crèches.

Animateur Playworker for working in out of school provision. * Eurofound (2015)

** Oberheumer (2010)

*** OECD: France (2015)

France has a long history of kindergarten provision that has an equal status to that of primary education,

including teachers in kindergartens having equal status to those in primary schools since 1921

(Oberheumer et al, 2010). French nursery schools (“l’école maternelle française”) have a strong focus on

education and are integrated into the school system under the Ministry of National Education (Frederic,

2015). The école maternelle has three historical roles: educational, preparatory and providing care, but

the school focus is much debated with a view that they are moving closer to a school model creating

concerns that the école maternelle has become too focused on an academic scholar principle and

cognitive development rather than a holistic approach to child development (Garnier, 2011).

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Whilst école maternelle are well established for children aged from three to school age, there has been

much debate in regards to what the state should and could do for very young children. Since 1981 there

has been a focus on offering early education to disadvantaged two year olds, but it has not been a

comprehensive policy approach. Question have also been asked of the two year old places, such as

whether école maternelle are suitable for two year olds, but also concerns that a separate system would

undermine the position of école maternelle as the starting point for education (Garnier, 2011). There

are now jardins d’éveil for two year olds, but it creates a split model of ECEC.

Training Profile There is a long tradition of a professionalised workforce in pre-primary education in France (Urban et al,

2012). France is regarded as having high quality training with a three year degree and two year post-

graduate professional preparation. Professionalisation process of the 70s and 80s coincided with that of

schools and by 1989 the maternelle teacher towards a ‘school teacher’ (Garneier, 2011). In 2013, the

reform of the initial training of primary school teachers was designed to find a new balance and

relationship between practice and theory in the higher education colleges that focussed on teaching

(ESPE - école supérieure du professorat et de l’éducation). This reform covered teachers who will work

in école maternelle and therefore the reform covered some aspects of ECEC.

The split model creates a divide between both the focus and the status of the different services, with

childcare for younger children, whereby infant-toddler centres being more focused on health care and

physical development than education and the established école maternelle being responsible for

educating the child (Lindeboom and Buiskool, 2013). Whilst there is the early childhood educator role

(éducatrice/éducateur de jeunes enfants) for working with children from birth to seven it is less

established than the role of teachers in ecoles maternelles (Urban et al, 2012). Assistants are also

required to be qualified for their supporting role (Van Laere et al, 2006), having a professional

qualification (since 1992) (petite enfance).

Identified Concerns Despite the strong professional identity and tradition of ECEC in France, training courses are combined

with those who will go on to work in primary education, with a concern that the courses become

focused on primary education, not ECEC (Oberheumer et al, 2010). This reflects earlier concerns that

there is a focus on academic and cognitive development in ECEC in France.

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Hungary

Policy Approach Strong state support for parental leave whilst children are under three and poor levels of services for under threes*, but state supported kindergarten provision.

ECEC Policy Model Split Since 2015 children from three to school age are to attend Óvoda (kindergarten), with settings being obliged to take children from their catchment area. Children start school at six, but this can be delayed until seven.

Policy Implementation Municipal There is a mix of mostly state and some local level funding, but the Municipalities are responsible for kindergartens.

ECEC Funding Education funding in relation to GDP is decreasing (associated with cuts in spending) ***


The split model sees kindergartens staffed by two pedagogues in each group, with one assistant.


Óvodapedagógus or óvónö

Kindergarten pedagogue with three years higher education training including 2500 contact hours (since 1990). Can go on to work in Óvoda

Csecseö és gyermekgondoyó or csecsemö és kisgyermekgondozó or gondozónö

Childcare worker with a three years post-secondary course in association with training colleges for work in Bőlcsőde or family support centres. The qualification was at the Diploma level pre 2009 and a Bachelor degree post 2009, but the degree is not a requirement.

Dajka Auxilary assistants with no specialist training. * Eurofound (2015)

** Oberheumer et al (2010)

*** OECD: Hungary (2015)

Whilst maternity leave pay is for 24weeks, it is possible for women to take up to three years off work to

care for their child. There is a childcare fee available for period following maternity pay up until the child

is two (Gyermekgondozási díj – GYED), the rate of which is determined by pervious earnings. There is

also a Child Home Care Allowance (Gyermekgondozási segély – GYES) for parents (or grandparents) to

stay at home with a child until they are three. The strong state support for parents with children under

three means that there are few ECEC services for this age group.

Hungary has a well-established kindergarten (óvoda) provision that has evolved as Hungary’s social-

political history has changed. Aspects of the Hungarian culture feature strongly in the óvoda with both

the kindergarten curriculum and training of the pedagogues featuring a focus on Hungarian folk

traditions (e.g. music, dance and craft).

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Training Profile There is nearly 50 years of tertiary level training for pedagogues, with Higher Education qualifications

being available since 1993 (Oberheumer et al, 2010). Compulsory subjects of education, psychology,

social sciences, and a foreign language, along with Hungarian language and culture, math, art, music,

science and curriculum methodology are present within the degrees. Degrees have been introduced for

those working in daycare and family support centres since 2009 (Oberheumer, 2010).

There is a Core Program (curriculum) that acts as a guide for those working in kindergartens, but staff

can choose the pedagogical approach, often through support at the local level. Pedagogues are

characterised by a system that provides autonomy to interpret the Core Program to reflect the needs of

their communities (Peterson et al, 2016).

Identified Concerns There are concerns that the socio-political history of Hungary has had consequences for working in ECEC

not being regarded as a very appealing profession. Democratisation, decentralisation, EU membership

and changes to the economy have created many changes for the workforce and altered expectations

around ECEC services. In particular, those working in day nurseries saw their work devalued following

the fall of Communism as the employment expectations of mothers changed. Currently, day nursery

(childcare worker) training is seen to be restrictive as there are limited career opportunities (Urban et al,

2012). For pedagogues working in kindergartens, the concern is that they receive less pay and work for

longer hours than teachers (Oberheumer, 2010).

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Ireland

Policy Approach Liberal economy model*

ECEC Policy Model Split ECEC services area split between care and education based. Adopts of mixed market model, which is mostly private provision. Low levels of children attend due to a history of not investing in ECEC services. ***

Policy Implementation Mixed Local advisory services, but central inspection and monitoring. Children start school at six, but many attend from four.


There is not a long history of ECEC provision, with a National Childcare Strategy established in 1999. The workforce composition is chracterised by variation due to the mixed market model and changes in policy. Four year olds tend to be in school with qualified teachers, with care providers for younger children. ** Average salaries for pre-primary school teachers 37798 USD


Primary school teacher

Three years at teacher college attached to a Higher Education institution, gaining a BEd, for work in preprimary in schools. (Some Montessori and Steiner schools available and preprimary classrooms for three year olds through Early Start initiative).

Basic practitioner in ECE/C

Level 4, accredited at Further Education level for work in fullday or sessional care, the latter including playgroup and kindergarten provision. Can also work as a childminder or in after school clubs or as an assistant in a primary school.

Intermediate practitioner in ECE/C

Level 5 for work in as above.

Experienced practitioner in ECE/C

Level 6. Further Education award in Childcare for work as above, but also including as an assistant in primary school kindergarten provision or supervisory and management positions.

Advanced pracitioner in ECE/C

Level 7, requires three year honours degree, BA in Early Childhood Education. Can work in as above, but also can work at city or council level or go into youth work or residential care or Further Education tutoring.

* Eurofound (2015)


*** OECD: Ireland (2015)

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ECEC policy is still evolving in Ireland, with under 30 years of a National Childcare Strategy. The mixed

market model, whereby private, voluntary and independent providers offer ECEC services means that

ECEC is characterised by variation and this is reflected in the workforce requirements. There is a history

of requiring appropriate qualifications, but with no statutory requirement the result has been a wide

range of qualifications being present in the ECEC workforce. In 2010 a Workforce Development Plan for

the sector was introduced, including developing new qualifications and an accreditation system for

those who had already obtained qualifications. The framework recognises both experience and existing

education and training. Different roles: basic, intermediate, experienced, advanced and expert

practitioner were developed, with each role having a different mastery of the identified knowledge and

skills written within the framework. However, despite this there remains no statutory minimum training

requirement for those not in schools, although under the introduction of the Free Kindergarten Year in

2010, capitation funding is differentiated based on the qualification profile of staff (Maloney and Popo

2015).

Training Profile The curriculum (Síolta) implies that pedagogues should have an understanding of child development

theory, educational philosophy and what it is they want for children and how to achieve these

objectives. In addition, the curriculum emphasises observation, planning, action and evaluation on a

regular basis (Monloney, 2010a).

Identified Concerns The ECEC workforce remains a diverse group that differ in their initial preparation and qualification

requirements (Moloney, 2010b). Teachers have a professional identity that is underpinned by a strong

model of initial teacher training, with promotion opportunities, a statutory body and a legal register.

Whilst a qualification framework introduced in 2002, provided a coordinated vision for initial and in-

service training, including occupational standards and professional roles (Oberhuemer, 2005) the lack of

a statutory requirement for the non-school sector undermines the possibility of developing a common

professional identity as does the variation that is present in the workforce. The variation in the

workforce also makes the commitment to upskill challenging (Oberheumer et al, 2010).

The training requirements of the upskilling process have included developments in understandings of

ECEC services as supporting children’s development through a whole child approach. The shift in

thinking around ECEC services creates a challenge for those who work in ECEC to consider different

learning contexts and planning and responding to children’s different learning needs (Moloney, 2010a).

Partnership working and reflective practice have also been introduced, adding to the additional skills

now required of those working in ECEC. Whilst ECEC is identified as supporting children’s development,

there are question of whether the workforce can do this if there remains no statutory qualification

requirement (Moloney 2010a).

Low pay and status (Oberheumer et al, 2010) are problematic for the non-school sector, with those in

non-school services feeling undervalued and thinking that degrees are not valued (Moloney and Popo,

2015). The perception that degrees are not valued is likely to make them unappealing and this is

exacerbated by insufficient funding for training (Lindeboom and Buiskool, 2013) and degrees only being

available on a full time basis (General teaching Council for Northern Ireland, Downloaded 2016). Further

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with so much variety in the workforce there are challenges for those providing training to know how

best to provide training opportunities. Further, those who do not have any training, but do have

experience are potentially disadvantaged from accessing the new training (General teaching Council for

Northern Ireland, Downloaded 2016). There are also challenges regarding clear progression routes for

members of the ECEC workforce.

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Italy

Policy Approach Moderate state support for parental leave and children under three with a strong early education tradition.

ECEC Policy Model Split Different departments are responsible for services for younger children and kindergarten children. There is free kindergarten provision. Children start school at six.

Policy Implementation Municipal There is something of north-south divide in the development of services that can be associated with employment rates.


Staff are assigned by the municipality. Teachers are free to choose the pedagogical approach, but in line with national guidelines. Staff in kindergarten services tend to be referred to educators, whilst those in schools are teachers. **


Insegnant di scuola dell'infanzia

Early childhood education teacher with a four year degree that includes two years with those training to work with other age groups and a two year specialisation (since 1998). Work in scuolse dell'infanzia (kindergaretens for 3-6)

Assistente di communita infantille

Assistant in community work with young children. Since 1997 a Diploma di assistente di comunita infantile is required to work in the kindergarten or in infant toddler centres (0-3) or socio-pedagogic community services

* Eurofound (2015)


ECEC for three to six year old children is well established, encompassing state-maintained, municipal and

private (mostly Catholic) institutions. Prior to 1960 services tended to be provided by Catholic services,

so were largely about supporting disadvantaged families, with working in such institutions being

presented as a “calling” (Lazzari 2012). Whilst Montessori started services (in 1907), these were closed

under fascism, with the ideas of the Agazzi sisters being preferred, which focused on maternalism

(Lazzari, 2012). Maternalism was also present in fascist ideals with kindergartens being named maternal

schools, but the pedagogy became about transmitting the regime’s values to children (Caruso and

Sorzio, 2015). From the 1960s, developments in ECEC services were the result of anti-fascist

movements, positioning them as emancipatory, with a strong commitment to social justice, represented

by participatory approaches. Kindergarten services developed in local municipalities, with Reggio Emilia

developing one of the most well-known (Caruso and Sorzio, 2015). Within Reggio there is the pedagogist

and atelierist, the former is a coordinator teacher who promotes the quality of the educational provision

through professional development and action-research, and the latter is an artist in residence who

supports the development of children’s ideas through art (Caruso and Sorzio, 2015).

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Training Profile Following the fall of fascism there was a promotion of kindergartens and the teachers’ professionalism,

with a strong commitment to social justice. Kindergartens were positioned as supporting families with

educating their children. Initial qualification requirements were a vocational certificate of education or a

certificate of secondary school education. The initial training of the early childhood profession is now

undertaken at Higher Education institutions and has been incorporated into the framework for teachers

(Lazzari, 2012) creating a combined approach to the training of those working in ECEC with primary

school teachers.

Identified Concerns The history of ECEC services means that there is still a tendency to see working with children as being a

natural disposition, typical of women (Lazzari, 2012). Whilst those involved in training pedagogues do

not identify with a gendered model, there is evidence that some students still regard working in ECEC as

being the responsibility of women (Campbell-Barr, 2015).

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Romania

Policy Approach Strong state support for parental leave. Weak birth to three provision. Strong kindergarten provision. *

ECEC Policy Model Split Pre-school education is organized in kindergartens with a legal status or in schools where there is either groups of pre-schools that function inside a school or kindergartens without legal status that work as a school with legal entity. The kindergarten day is delivered via normal (4hrs), extended (10hours) or weekly programmes.

Policy Implementation Central to decentral

ECEC Workforce Profile Kindergarten providers are accredited in accordance with the methodology developed by the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Health and are based on referenced standards. The accreditation of kindergarten providers is through the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-university Education (Agentia Romana de Asigurare a Calitatii in Invatamantul Preuniversitar - ARACIP) based on referenced standards. Teachers choose the methods, structure, but follow the curriculum and teacher guides.


Educatoare High-school level studies with a specialization in kindergarten education.

Institutori I High-school studies in kindergarten education and superior studies in another field.

Institutori invatamant prescolar

Have superior studies at the “Colegiul Universi- tar de Institutori” – the College for Kindergarten Teachers

Profesori pentru invatamantul primar si prescolar

Teachers for kindergarten and elementary education receive a double award (with the first graduates in 2007-2008) enabling them to teach in kindergarten and elementary teaching. Intitutori can complete a two semester program to receive the status of kindergarten and elementary teacher

* Eurofound (2015)

** Iucu et al (2008)

The split model of ECEC means that there is well established kindergarten provision, but services for

birth to three are under development. At present the birth to three provision is delivered by a mixed

model of services, but it lacks regulation (Iucu et al, 2008).

Training Profile The split model sees different staffing requirements for those working with children birth to three than

those working in kindergartens, with the latter requiring a degree and the former an upper-secondary

qualification. Kindergarten teachers have a more developed set of standards, but they undertake

training under a blended model where teachers train to work in either kindergartens or primary schools.

15

Identified Concerns Romanian education has been subject to continuous change for the last 15 years, characterised by a

process of decentralization (Péter, 2008). Teachers are challenged by either conforming or being

innovative, with the latter being dependent of feelings, attitudes and convictions.

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Discussion The summaries of the six presented countries identify a number of commonalities around pay and

status, alongside questions of the training delivery. Hungary, Ireland and Finland all identified concerns

around the levels of pay and status of those working in ECEC being lower than teachers in primary

schools, with a suggestion that this will make working in ECEC unappealing. In Hungary, this was set

against a context of changing expectations, with Ireland identifying rising expectations of the ECEC

workforce. France presents an exception to this model, with a history of having develop a shared

professionalism between those working in ECEC and those in schools. However, in the French model, the

blended approach to the training of teachers to work in either early education or primary has raised

concerns that the focus of training has become too concerned with academic and cognitive

development.

The French model is a split one, so the shared professionalism identified between those working in ECEC

and those in primary schools only applies to those working with kindergarten age children for the ECEC

workforce. The split model of training requirements for those working with different ages is common

across Europe, with those working with younger children commonly being required to have lower

qualification requirements and/or lower numbers of staff who hold a qualification than those working

with older children. Training for those working with kindergarten age children appears to be more

developed, but there are differences in how the training is delivered. Whilst the differences reflect the

discussion of blending ECEC training with primary or not, the question seems to be in relation to how

specialist the training of ECEC pedagogues needs to be. Further, if training is specialist, the example of

France (whilst blended) raises further questions of what age the training should focus on? Should

training begin with children at the age of three or earlier? The questions indicate that the content of

training is variable across Europe and whilst this is to be expected, it is also reasonable to expect that

training within countries will also vary. For example, whilst Hungary stipulates hours in practice and

areas to be covered in the training of pedagogues, it is anticipated that there will be variations between

Higher Education institutions. Finland adds a further complexity to the issue of specialist training, in

regards to whether the specialism needs to reflect education based qualifications or not. The different

specialised and blended training models require further exploration as to their strengths and

weaknesses and demonstrate that still little is known about the training of the ECEC workforce.

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