The fading of a teaching profession? reforms of early childhood teacher education in Sweden

Abstract

In Sweden, working with young children in institutions outside the home dates back to the late nineteenth century when public child care provision developed in a context of industrialization, urbanization and democratization. Out of the charitable work of unmarried women in these early institutions, pre‐schools and teacher education programmes developed. Over the years, pre‐school teacher education has undergone major changes, the most recent reform being the move into a system within which the previous eight distinctive teacher education programmes, pre‐school teacher education being one of them, have been replaced by one integrated teaching degree. This article addresses some major features of the development of pre‐school teacher education and concludes with a discussion of the most recent reform and its consequences for the early childhood teaching profession.

Keywords:

• Pre‐school teacher
• Swedish reforms
• Integrated teacher education

Notes

Department of Education, Göteborg University, Sweden.

All quotations from Swedish texts are translated to English by the author of the article.

One credit point equals one academic full‐time week of study. Each semester comprises 20 credit points.

Children in Sweden start compulsory school in the autumn of the year they turn seven.

The first teachers for young children will be graduating from the programme in December 2004.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maelis Karlsson Lohmander

Department of Education, Göteborg University, Sweden.