In Finland and Sweden, every child has a right to highly subsidised pre-school education, and in both countries this is free to low-income families.
In Finland, participation in pre-school education became compulsory for six-year-olds in 2015. There is no equivalent to Ofsted; instead, settings feed information to government using computer programmes, and there are inspections for issues such as safety.
In Sweden there are formal regulators. Childcare never costs more than 3 per cent of the parents’ income per child. The maximum monthly fee for a one- to three-year-old is £122; for a three- to five-year-old it is £81.
DAYCARE CENTRES AURINGONKUKKA AND LESKENLEHTI, FINLAND
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
