Editorial: Superdiversity and the Nordic Model in ECEC

• Published in: Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood
• Main Authors: Kuusisto, Arniika, Garvis, Susanne
• Other Authors: Swinburne University of Technology
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: SAGE Publications 2020
• Subjects: Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/459559; https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949120983619

The aim of this Special Issue has been to create a platform for discussion for examining the concept of superdiversity within the Nordic region and within the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), as well as in relation to the ECEC teacher education and professional development. The Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are known for continually scoring high in international comparisons for quality of life and children’s educational outcomes, with a specific focus on democracy and equality. The region, with a combined population of over 26 million people, is considered innovative in implementing forward thinking policy development to support a spread-out population. The success of the Nordic region has much to do with specific culture and policies around well-established political intentions for families, children and preschool to allow stable funding, curriculum, guidelines and laws to be implemented (UNESCO, 2008). The success is often discussed in terms of the ‘Nordic model’, with a focus on promoting equality and independence for all, including equal opportunities between genders. This has also meant reforms to support parents, such as child allowances, parental leave and provision for preschool for all children. Some of the implementation in doing this differs across the Nordic countries. However, the ECEC provision has commonalities across the national contexts, with shared values and pedagogy around supporting children in being democratic, active, reflective, independent, and large amounts of the day dedicated to play, both indoors and outdoors.