Early Childhood EducationIn France

Overview of Early Childhood Education in France

- 1771 “Knitting Schools”- 1825 “salles d’aisle”- 1881 law established - 1921 class enfantine- Post WWII

Preschool Early Childhood Care- 1844 society of crèche's- 1869 crèche's remained privatized - Post WWII - 1970 to 1990

Early Childhood EducationToday:

-Preschools “Ecoles maternelles”- almost all children from age three to six and a third of two year olds are

enrolled in France- French preschools are integrated into the primary school - 1989 children from age 3 has a right to a place in a neighbourhood ecole

maternelle- These preschools do not charge fees - separate buildings adjacent to an elementary school- Three Levels of Preschool: petite section(3 yr olds), moyenne section(4 yr olds)

and grande section(5 yr olds). - “Bridging Activities” to assist in transition from home to school

Underlying Philosophy

One’s beliefs and attitude. Related to ECE, one’s ideas about how children learn, and how ECEs teach.

Canada’s Philosophy

Ecole Maternelle: Autonomy Development and Socialization (Begins at age two)

Ecole Primaire: Phonetic Methodology (Reading Skills) (Begins at age six)

History And Evolution-1628- The thought of child care was introduced

-Child care was introduced in France in 1840

-Taking part in the 19th century in European cities and industrial centers

-Servants, mammies, and wet nurses provided care

-Social class determined type of child care.

-1914 women started to join work force

-1980’s onwards childcare outside of the home increased

-1980- child care subsidy put into place

Both countries provide child care support in their own ways

Canada:

-The provincial government is one of the main ones that legislate & make decisions

-Provincial governments in each province/territory decide on what subsidize to give each child care

-Lower income families receive payments monthly: Family allowance

- Parents can also receive Canada child tax benefit

: Money is usually spent on child care costs

Child Care Support SystemsFrance & Canada

At a national point: A large amount of money is for the care of young children

Crèches-- They are funded by local authorities

-Depending on their income some families must pay an additional fee- Family allowance has a scale that ranges between 8% and 12% of the family’s

income

Day nurseries-- The price of the Day nursery depends on the parental income & the number of

hours the child is at the nursery

Child Care Support SystemsFrance:

Child- Mining-- Nounou’s are paid monthly from parents with a pay slip

- Parents pay them a take home salary: The state pays their social, health, & retirement benefits

-For low income families: The URSSAF can also contribute to the cost of the nounou’s salary

A Fact-- Around 80% of French child care centers are covered by public funds

Child Care Support SystemsCont. France

Roles & Training of an ECEIn France

• Earn a University degree

• Teacher based training

• Teacher institute

Roles & Training of an ECEIn Ontario

• Earn a College diploma

• Earn a University degree

• Updated police checks, medical shots, first aid training

Availability and Accessibility Of Early Childhood Education in France

• “The report describes a system largely financed by tax revenue: a blend of child care, education and health services based on free full-day

preschool programs, subsidized day-care centers and licensed care in private homes for infants and toddlers. The noncompulsory preschool

programs, which serve nearly 90 percent of French children 3 to 5 years old, offer language arts, exercise, crafts and play.” -New York Times

• Most daycare centres in France are open 11 hours a day, closed only for one month over summer period, as well as on public holidays

• In Paris, new infant-toddler daycare centres being opened at rate of two a month, and French Government is donating money to municipalities to expand availability of centers and family day care

• Due to stiff competition for qualified daycare, many parents end up hiring private nanny for their child/children

• All French cities and towns in France offer this service however rural localities may have limited number of places and in big cities such as Paris, demand often outstrips availability.

• France also has widespread system made of adults who care for infants and toddlers in their homes;report says about 75 percent of family day-care providers licensed compared with 10 percent in  United States

• No matter where in France you are living, parents  strongly advised to put their name down for daycare opportunities well in advance; first thing a family in France does as soon as they find out they are expecting