A Study On EU Early Children Education And Care Policies In The 21^st Century

The EU(European Union)is a international European organization has twenty-seven countries,which has a strong influence on EU development,it is also a super-state economic and political entity.The EU attaches great importance to the important role of educational development of EU member countries,which strengthen the formulation and implementation of education policies as an important means to achieve their overall educational goals.The European Union lately attaches great importance to Early Children Education and Care(ECEC),but its published ECEC policies in the 21 st century have distinctive characteristics.A profound study of the EU ECEC policies can provide a strategic reference for the study of ECEC policies and the construction of a modern ECEC system in our country.The paper firstly discusses the relevant background of the EU ECEC policies.The economic,political,cultural and educational theories of the European Union have a deep influence on the formation and development of ECEC policies.Thepaper profoundly elaborates the economic,political,cultural,and educational backgrounds that emerged from the ECEC policies in the European Union and tries to use the analysis of ECEC policies development in the 21 st century to depict the basis for the publication of ECEC policies and prepare for further accurate analysis.Then,the paper selected three representative policies of the ECEC policies in the 21 st Century to deeply analysis.In the part of the policies,the paper analyzes the development process of the ECEC policies in the EU,and then analyzes the reasons for choosing those policies to study.Based on a comprehensive analysis of the three representative policies text systems,the paper specifically analyze the policies objectives and use these as classifications toanalyze the main contents.The ECEC policies were divided into various aspects such as access to ECEC,funds,courses and teachers,etc.The paper elaborated on the specific content of these policies.In the implementation part of the policies,this article not only attaches importance to the detailed analysis of the text of the static policies,but also focuses on the discussion of the implementation process of the dynamic policies.In view of the particularity of the EU organization,the paper selected Finland,a representative member of the European Union,as a case to systematically explore the process of Finnish efforts towards the ECEC policies goals of the EU in accordance with its own national conditions.The analysis finds that under the care of the ECEC policies objectives in the EU,Finland integrating with its actual situation of ECEC and considering the process of referring to the specific contents of the ECEC policies of the EU,gradually reformed and improved its ECEC system.The paper analyzes its specific process systematically through the latest Finnish education materials.In the five parts,the paper profoundly analyzes the achievements made by the ECEC policies in the 21 st century,the problems still facing and the future development trends.The 21 st century EU ECEC policies have expanded the EU education integration process,improved the status of ECEC and preschool teachers,promoted the development of preschool professional training in member countries,and promoted the development of ECEC in various member countries,pointed out the direction for the development of ECEC in EU countries.Although the ECEC policies of the EU in the 21 st century have achieved certain results,it still faces a series of new challenges brought by the economic crisis,the European debt crisis,the immigration crisis,and the internal turmoil in the EU.At the mean time,it also presents new trends.The last part of the paper connecting with the actual development of ECEC in China specifically analyzes the enlightenment of the ECEC policies in the EU in the 21 st century.The paper sums up practical experience from EU ECEC policies setting background,specific content,implementation results and achievements,challenges still faced and development trends in the21 st century.Combined with Chinese national conditions,the paper provides valuable references for the formulation of ECEC policies in China:(1)Formulating ECEC policies and creating a good ECEC environment;(2)Adding ECEC funds to expand ECEC services;(3)Strengthening the construction of preschool teachers and enriching the content of ECEC courses;(4)Enhancing comprehensive reform of ECEC and helping impoverished children to enter school.And it also with these four directions as the directions to analyze the specific suggestions.All in all,from the formulation of the ECEC policies of the EU and member states' specific implementation,the pursuit of high quality and full coverage of ECEC is the goal and trend we all pursue.How to cover all preschool children,how to improve the quality of ECEC,how tomeet the lifelong education of ECEC children,social integration,personal development and future employment are the basic topics for the development of ECEC.As a international European organization,ECEC development in EU member states has always been the focus of it.Since the beginning of the new century,in order to raise the overall level of education in the EU,deal with knowledge-based economic competition,promote the healthy and rapid development of ECEC in the EU,and meet the goal of meeting 95% of ECEC children having the opportunity to receive high quality ECEC in the EU,the EU has been formulated a series of policies measures for ECEC development.The basic viewpoint of the paper is that the development of the EU political,economic,cultural,and educational theories have a great influences on the development of ECEC policies.The formulation of ECEC policies in the EU indirectly affects the implementation of ECEC policies in EU member states.At the same time,the EU ECEC policies have made great important contributions on the EU efforts to strengthen knowledge economy competition and the overall education level of the EU.In addition,Excellent Measures in the EU ECEC policies in the 21 st Century provides a reference for the healthy and stable development of ECEC in our country.