Curriculum in Canada, Finland and Switzerland

1. Country Language
Canada
59.1% Eng
22.9& French
18.0% others
higher birth rate in Aboriginal community
high employment from mothers with
young children
increase of single parents with young ch
significant rates of child poverty
increase of non-traditional working hours
Finland
90% Finnish
5.4% Swedish
4.4% Eng
<1.0% Sami
•Expansion of knowledge and expertise as well
as the skills to create new inventions.
• Changes in Families
• Women’s entry into working life
• Family with Ch 0-7 and parents’ employment
situation
Switzerland
64% German
20% French
6.5% Italian
1% Romansh
 Female labor force
 Multicultural society: immigrants and refugees
cover 40% of the population
 To improve education of the family

2. Group C
Noor Hezleen, Low Lai Har
Azali and Noormedia

3. Context:
Policies that guide the development of ECEC in
the country
Input:
The financial, teacher training and support
services of the EC Education
Process:
Principles, approaches to learning and
assessments methods
Product:
Children Development Output & Outcome

4. Canada
 32 M in population
 10 provinces, 3 territories
 Economy: Service sectors,
industries & resource-based
 7.9 M in population
 26 cantons
 Economy: high labor
specialization, industry and trade
 5.4 M in population
 6 provinces
 Economy: Service sectors,
industry and trade.

5. Similarities:
1. Female Entry into Working Life
2. Increase of Immigrants
3. Improving Family Education
Need of the
Country!
More reasons:
higher birth rates among Aborigin than the general
population
increase of single parents with young ch
significant rates of child poverty
increase of non-traditional working hours
More reasons:
Expansion of knowledge and expertise as
well as the skills to create new inventions.
Changes in Families

6. i. Children and Family Services
Act 1990
ii. Education Act O. Reg (Full Day
Junior Kindergarten and
Kindergarten
iii. Early Childhood Educators Act
2007
i. Agreement on the Coordination
of Education 1970, by the
Confederation of Cantonal
Directors of Education (CDIP)
… to develop education and
harmonise the cantonal
legislation on education.
National Documents:
i. Legislation on Child Daycare and Pre-
School Education
ii. National Policy Definition on ECEC
iii. National Curriculum Guidelines on
ECEC
iv. Core Curriculum for Pre-School
Education in Finland.
Local Policy:
i. Local Policy Definitions and Strategies
ii. Local ECEC Curriculum
iii. Local Pre-School Education Curriculum
iv. Individual ECEC Plan and Pre-School
Education.
Policy Concerning ECEC

7. Canada
… lies with the provincial and territorial governments.
… the federal government is responsible for specific
populations, like the Aboriginal people, military families,
immigrants and refugees.
Federal > Province > Municipal > School Board
Finland
• … the responsibility of local (municipal) authority.
• may organise education independently or jointly with
other local authority, or purchasing program from a
licensed organisation.
• Federal > Municipal > School Board
Switzerland
 … the responsibility of each Canton, for the
accreditation and supervision of childcare facilities.
 The federal ordinance set the quality standards.
 not compulsory but universally attended.
EC Education is …

8. Canada Switzerland Finland
1. Main services are: a.
kindergarten (5yo)
b. child care (<5yo)
2. Age:
Mostly 5 years old
(95% of 5yo attend
state-funded
kindergarten)
1. Main services are:
a. Preschool (4-5 y.o)
b. Childcare facilities
(<4yo)
2. Age:
Mostly 4-5 years old
(86% of 4 yo attend
preschool)
1. Main services:
a. Preschool (6yo)
b. Preschool + Day
Care(Mixed Model)
2. Age:
Mostly 6-7 years old.
(95% of 6yo attend
preschool)

9. Canada Switzerland Finland
3. Supported by:
a. Public health care
b. Public education
c. Government Income
Transfer
d. Child and family
service
4. Curricula varies
among provinces.
Part-time Program (2-5
hours) a day.
3. Supported by:
a. Schemes of
vouchers
4. Curricula varies
among Cantons.
Almost all kindergarten
are less than half a day.
3. Supported by:
a.
4. National Guidelines
for ECEC
(3.5 hours a day)

10. Canada Switzerland Finland
5. The benefits are:
i. Stable funding
ii. Trained teachers
iii. Structured program
iv. Regular monitoring
& Evaluation
6. ECE available for:
i. Ch with disabilities
ii. Ch fr low-income
families
iii. Aboriginal children
and diversity
iv. Immigrant children
5. Benefits are:
a. Schemes of
Vouchers
6. ECE available for:
i. native children
ii. Children fr low-
income families
iii. Immigrants ch
5. Benefits:
a. Schoolbooks,
Learning materials
b. Warm school meals
daily
c. transportation/
suitable assistance
d. counnselling
6. ECE available for:
i. Children with special
needs

11. … is to support children’s growth towards
humanity and ethically responsible
membership of society, and to provide
children with the knowledge and skills
necessary in life..
Vision: Finland an Information Society
…is to improve access to and
quality in ECEC, to
strengthen the foundation of
life long learning
(OCED,1998)
Motto: Making Lifelong
Learning a Reality for All
… is to prepare children for
school, integrate non-
native and handicapped
children into the school
system and identify
children with learning
problems.

12.  Compulsory primary school for 9 years
 All teachers are prepared in academic
university, holding a Master Degree
 Political authorities views education as
the critical diver to survive and thrive
 Free education for all
 No standardized test/exam until 16 years
old
 School receive full autonomy
 Expansion of vocational education
 Building upon expertise of local players
 High cooperation btw stakeholders
 Regional development and networking.
Meas, B. (2010)
10 changes made in Policy
Development and Reform
Principles of Basic and
Secondary Education in
Finland 1968:

13. To sum up…
ECEC evolves due to similar factors:
working parents, family education and
encouraging integration of diversity.
Each country hopes to produce
independent individual that can achieve the
vision of the country.
Education and good monitoring of
children’s development can benefit the
country in the future.

14. Looking at:

15. Funding
 Kindergarten has for many years been well-
funded by international standards
 Canada covers only 5-year olds to a significant
extent.
 Free pre primary education
 0- to 7-year-olds: is 1.1% of GDP. Including the pre-
school class (6-7 years), the investment rises
to 1.3% of GDP, and when expenditure on the
home care allowance is added, the figure
reaches 1.7% of GDP.
 the budget is largely devolved from the central
level to ECEC providers.
The financing of obligatory education in
Switzerland falls under the responsibility of
the cantons (provinces), together with the
communities.
 it is financed with locally collected tax
revenues.
Free pre primary education
GDP : 0.2%
GDP : 1.7%
GDP : 0.19%

16. bachelor degree
1-year of teacher training
bachelor or master’s degree in education,
or
a bachelor degree in social sciences
additional pedagogical course.
Diploma in Teaching
PRESCHOOL TEACHER QUALIFICATION

17. Canada Switzerland Finland
 professional
development
training to keep
skills and
knowledge up-to-
date
The Canadian
Association of
Principles provides
continuing
education
states require
continuing
education to
maintain licensure.
 to raise the level of
professional standards
for teaching staff.
extending to raise
the level of
professional
qualifications into
areas beyond basic
training courses.
Supplementary
training prepares
teachers to teach
additional learners
in other subjects or
at other level
enable the teachers
to adapt to changes
and advances in
conceptions of
teaching and
learning.
establishing a
continuation from
basic training and
in- service training
in- service training
as part of teacher
workload.

18. Support Services
 Best Start: Ontario's Maternal Newborn and Early Child
Development Resource Centre supports service providers
across the province of Ontario
 workshops are provided for parents with children in the
pre-school program. The workshops discuss issues related
to health, nutrition, parenting, education and community
resources.
 Fee subsidy helps families in financial need with the cost of
child care.
 family resource programs offer a range of services to families,
both site based services and outreach.

19. Support Services
 Before- and After-School Activities.
 Pre-primary education, meals, health care and
transportation are provided free of charge.
Children are entitled also to a day-care place. In day
care, there is an income-based fee.
 These welfare services cover the physical, mental and
social well-being of students and the responsibility for
welfare work rests with all adults at each school.

20. Support Services
 «Basisstufe» (transition from kindergarten to primary school:
The introduction of a new provision for the transition from
kindergarten to primary school . Children aged 4 to 8 are
taught together in one class.
 A scheme of vouchers: The Swiss government plans to
support a childcare voucher scheme to help parents
reconcile work and family
life.

21. Conclusion:
The three factors which are found to be essential
in having a well developed early childhood
education are sufficient funding, qualified or
well trained teachers and good
support service.
Finland is established in childhood education compared
to ECE in Canada and Switzerland.
 In order to have a fair and accessible early childhood
education, central government should provide a
standardized system in terms of distribute funding.

22. AREAS OF LEARNING
SUBJECT
APPROACHES
LEARNING ENVIROMENT
PROCESS
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CURRICULUM

23. Areas of Learning
Personal & social development
• Connected to others & contribute to their world. Have strong sense of
identity well being
Language
• Effective communicators
Mathematics
• have conceptual understanding of mathematics, mathematical thinking &
reasoning
Science & Technology
• Curios & connect prior knowledge to new contexts in order to understand the
world around them
Health & physical activity
• make healthy choices & develop physical skill

24. Subject
Early literacy
Oral ,reading & view
,write & representing
Social studies
• Myself, family,
community
Science
• Exploring
• Using sense
Early numeracy
• Number sense,
patterns.
Measurement,
geometry
Heath & physical
• Psychical, healthy &
personal develop
Creative
Music ,art, drama,
play

25. Approaches
Integration
• Drawing together natural connections among
various curriculum areas to assist children making
sense of their world , acquire skills, attitudes &
knowledge that will allow them to grow & learn
holistically .
Learning centers
• Promote play-based opportunities to engage hands
on & mind on, enhances & enriches a children's
learning

26. Learning Environment
Using space
• Group related
centers/material
together/block centers
e.g.. Mathematic ,
listening centre
• Visual display e.g.
charts, word wall
• Open area for
movement
• Areas for quiet & rest
Use of time
• Should consider
attention span of
children,
• The length of time
they attend school
• The familiarity
routines, their
strength ,need &
interest
Use of resource
• Organized & label
materials
• Variety of material
• Have community
volunteers

27. Assessment
Observing
• To gather information about & evidence of a child learning-at least one
observation of each child each week
• Anecdotal notes
• Checklist
• Rating scales
Documentation
• Detailed record of ongoing evidence of a child effort
• Portfolio
Monitoring
• Communicating with parent
• Progress report
• Parent educator conference

28. Areas of Learning
Mathematical orientation
• Making comparisons, conclusions & calculation in a closed conceptual system
Natural science orientation
• Phenomena of natural world
Historical societal orientation
• Develop an understanding of the operation of modern city
Aesthetic orientation
• Give children personal sentiment, feelings & experience of beauty, harmony, melody, style,
excitement and joy, as well their antitheses
Ethical orientation
• Child have concept good ,wrong, truth, bad & lie
Religious philosophical orientation
• Traditions, customs, & practices of the child own religious or belief.

29. Subject
Mathematics
Environment
al & natural
science
Psychical &
motor
development
Health
Language
interaction
Art & culture
Ethnic &
philosophy

30. Approaches
Dimension of care,
educating & teaching
•Can promote the Childs positive
self image, expressive, &
interactive skills & development of
thinking

31. Learning environment
Refer to physical, psychological, social, cognitive, emotional
environment
Guide children curiosity interest learning motivation
Opportunities to play
Should be joyful, open, encouraging & unhurried
Tool & material should be support children development into
members of modern information society, safety & security

32. Assessment
Teacher cooperation with other staff
Promote children capabilities for self assessment
Teacher-Parent
Feedback/discussion/ECEC plan
Teacher –children interaction
Schoolwork/learning process
Child need support and need assessment

33. Areas of Learning
Personal, emotional & social development
Communication, language & literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge & understanding of the world
Creative development
Physical development

35. Approaches
Mix age groups appear
• Provide many opportunities for peer teaching.
• The older children explaining things to a younger child/younger
child observing & asking question
Teacher actively involved
• in the children free play as she gave verbal clues,
encouragement & assisted children with problem solving
Class circle time
• Was highly structured, including an oral language section in
which children heard a story & were ask to retell it. Nonverbal
communication also was an explicit aspect of circle time

36. Learning environment
Station
•Complete a task before moving next
station
Open area for movement
•Play activities
•Movement games

37. Assessment
Teacher observation
Evaluates children learning difficulties
The children are observed to their readiness for school
• In term of general physical, social & emotional development
• Gross sensory and fine motor skill
• Visual perception
• Language development of speech
• Spatial orientation.

38. Conclusion
•The learning to support &
enhancing creative ,physical ,social,
intellectual, language & literacy
also numeracy development.
• with different process
•Based on the needs, policy,
objective of ECEC of the country

39. Educational outputs are the direct results of the education process:
on the one hand, qualifications and percentages of students achieving
them & on the other hand, students’ competencies and skills at the end of
their education and training. Outcomes refer to the medium to long-term
effects of education on other factors of social and economic relevance.
(Source: CSRE Swiss Coordination Centre for Research in Education)

40. • Children are connected
to others and
contribute to their
world.
• Children are able to
communicate
effectively.
• Children understand
mathematical thinking
& reasoning.
• Children are curious &
connect prior
knowledge to new
contexts in order to
understand the world
around them.
• The child’s overall well-
being so as to ensure the
best possible conditions
for growth, learning and
development.
• The child is able to enjoy
the company of others
experiencing joy &
freedom of action in an
unhurried, safe
atmosphere.
• The child can direct his /
her energy to play,
learning & everyday
activities with an
appropriate level of
challenge.
• Preschool encourages
the socio-effective,
psycho-motoric &
cognitive development
of children & prepares
them for entry into
school.
• Each child is
supported according to
its developmental
• The development of
independence is
emphasized as well as
individual, social &
intellectual skills.
Learning Outcomes

41. A strong education system is crucial to establishing future
competitiveness, as well as to creating a cohesive and productive
society. This criterion assess the extent to which a government’s
education policy facilitates high-quality learning that contributes to
personal development, sustainable economic growth and social
cohesion. Focus areas include the need to provide a skilled labor
force, upper secondary and tertiary attainment levels, and
(equitable) access to education. Research has increasingly shown
the value of pre-primary education as well, particularly in helping
non-native children to higher levels of attainment later in their
educational careers.
Source: SGI – Sustainable Governance Indicators 2011
http://www.sgi-network.org

42. Source: SGI Sustainable Governance Indicator 2011
http://www.sgi-network.org
*In all cases, higher scores reflect better
performance.

43. Source: SGI Sustainable Governance Indicator 2011
http://www.sgi-network.org
*In all cases, higher scores reflect better
performance.

44. The PISA Assessment conducted in 2003 provided the last
indication as to the long-term effects of attending
preschool. Young people who stated that they had
attended pre-school for a year or longer achieved higher
levels of proficiency in mathematics than young people
who had not taken part in preschool education
Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), 2004

45.  PISA: Program for International
Student Assessment.
 PISA is the only international
education survey to measure the
knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds,
an age at which students in most
countries are nearing the end of their
compulsory time in school.
 To ensure comparability, observed
values are transformed into SGI scores
on a scale from 1 to 10. The lowest
value translates into score 1, the best
value into score 10. Remaining values
are transformed according to the
original data distribution.
Source: SGI Sustainable Governance
Indicator 2011(http://www.sgi-
network.org)
On average, how well do students Canada , Finland & Switzerland
score on PISA tests?

46. Ralph Marvin Steinman
- From Montreal Quebec, Canada
- Canadian immunologist and cell biologist
at Rockefeller University
-2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology / Medicine (posthumous)
- Martti Ahtisaari
- 10th President of Findland
- From Viipuri Finland
-Nobel Prize winner (peace) 2008
- Kurt Wuthrich
- Swiss chemist/biophysicist
- From Aarberg, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2002)
 Learning Outcome
 Long Term Achievement
(The Nobel Prize)

47. Famous Finnish
People:
Mika Hakkinen
 World champion
for 7 times and
won the Formula
I, World
Championships
title in 1998 and
1999 for team
McLaren.
 Tennis
professional
Roger Federer
was the first
Swiss man to
win a Grand
Slam title.
 In 2012, he
became a
seven-time
Wimbledon
champion, tying
with Pete
Sampras for the
world No. 1
ranking record
of 286 weeks
 Team Canada Women
win 2012 International Ice Hockey
Federation (IIHF)
World Championship

48.  CANADA: Achievement of the essential graduation learning's will prepare students to
continue to learn throughout their lives. These learning's describe expectations,
not in terms of individual school subjects, but in terms of knowledge, skills, and
attitudes developed throughout the curriculum.
 FINLAND : to promote the child’s overall well-being, ensure the best possible
conditions for growth, learning and development. The child is interested in the
environment, and can direct his or her energy to play, learning and everyday
activities with an appropriate level of challenge. 6 essential graduate learning:
aesthetic expression, citizenship, communication, personal development, problem
solving & technology competence.
 SWITZERLAND: Preschool promotes individual development and social learning
and prepares children for starting school. The children are able o read, write &
understand basic math concept which incorporate with 6 areas of learning: 1)
personal, emotional & social development, 2) communication, language & literacy, 3)
mathematical development, 4) knowledge & understanding of the world, 5) creative
development, 6) Physical development.

50. Similarities Different
1) Funding
 Subsidies from government
o CANADA: Funding of pre-primary
education for 3- to 6-year-olds: about
0.2% of GDP; for all child
care, 0-12, funding amounts to 0.4% of
GDP.
o SWITZERLAND (voucher)
o FINLAND - A National Child Benefit
(NCB) monthly payments from the
Government of Canada to low-income
families with children & benefits &
services designed & delivered by
provinces and territories to meet the
needs of low-income families with
children in each jurisdiction.
1) Curriculum
 FINLAND – follow a
National Curriculum
Guidelines for ECEC.
 SWITZERLAND – depends
own canton.
 CANADA – Every province
have a different curriculum.
2) Method of teaching & learning
 Play- children discover new realities, to
experiment with strategies and to learn
to apply rules.

51.  Within the context of a global economy, education is taking on a
new significance valuable resource in so-called knowledge
societies. Regulating the curriculum is seen as a pro-active
contribution towards acknowledging the early years as an
essential foundation for individual learning biographies &
towards raising the status &visibility of early childhood
institutions.
 What works in one country , may not work in other countries.
Some aspects of teaching & learning that could be applicable
for educators around the world.

53. Austin, G.R. (1976). Early childhood education: An international perspective. New York:
Academic Press.
Eggleton, A. & Keon, W. (2009). Early Childhood Education and Care: Next Steps: Report of
the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology Canada.
Fuentes, A. (2011), “Raising Education Outcomes in Switzerland”, OECD Economics
Department Working Papers, No. 838, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org.
Hega, G.M. (2000). Federalism, subsidiarity and education policy in Switzerland. Regional &
Federal Studies, 10(1), 1-35.
Grierson, H. (2000). Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in Finland: Background report
prepared for the OECD Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care
Policy. http://www.oecd.org/copyr.htm
SGI Sustainable Governance Indicators (2011). Performance comparison. Retrieved
November 16, 2012, from the World Wide Web: http://www.sgi-network.org
SGI Sustainable Governance Indicators (2011). What percentage GDP is spent on
pre-primary education? Retrieved November 16, 2012, from the World Wide Web:
http://www.sgi-network.org
Swiss Conference of Rectors of Universities of Teacher Education (COHEP). (2012).Studying in
Switzerland: Universities of teacher education. Berne, General Secretariat
COHEP.