Comparative Issues in Early Childhood Education: Norway and Australia

This paper offers a comparative analysis of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems in Norway and Australia. It examines the strategies implemented by both countries to improve the quality of ECEC, with a particular focus on teacher qualifications, training, and working conditions. The paper highlights Norway's efforts to address staff shortages through training and quantitative data-driven approaches, as well as its framework plan for staff-to-child ratios. In contrast, it discusses Australia's National Quality Framework (NQF) and National Quality Standard (NQS) which sets minimum standards for ECEC services. The essay emphasizes the importance of qualified teachers and favorable working conditions in delivering effective ECEC services. The paper concludes that both countries play a crucial role in improving ECEC, with Norway's workforce and working conditions being more clearly defined than Australia's.

Comparative Issues and Contexts in Early Childhood
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Comparative Issues and Contexts in Early Childhood
In this paper, comparison between Norway’s and Australia’s early childhood
education and care (ECEC) systems will be looked at. Key interest will be paid to the aspect
of improving qualifications, training and working conditions. The quality of the teaching
method can greatly be increased by the presence of well trained and qualified teachers. This
ultimately causes a positive outcome in the growth and knowledge retention of the child.
Better working conditions such as better pay and optimum security in the work places brings
about mental and physical satisfaction among the staff (Mashford and Church, 2011).
Eventually, this leads to provision of better and satisfactory early childhood education and
care services. According to recent research, there exists certain conditions that bring about an
upper edge in the provision of ECEC. These include but not limited to humanly possible
work schedules and time tables, availability of adequate staff, favourable physical working
environment as well as a manager of head-teacher who is supportive and mentors his/her
subordinates.
In Norway, strategies have been put in place to ensure quality ECEC services. These
strategies include employing more staff and training the relevant scholars to become qualified
teachers. However, the shortage of qualified staff in the kindergartens and other education
sectors have been a major menace (Eliassen, 2018). Unqualified staff still work in early
childhood education institutions. To counter effect this challenge, strategies have been in
place to reduce the number of qualified staff with clear quantitative data on check (Taguma,
Litjens and Makowiecki, 2012). Another strategy is to have a number of set requirements to
ensure qualified staff are deployed in these institutions. In terms of balancing the ratio of staff
to children, the Norwegian government have stood out with the comprehensive frame-work
plan. This plan is meant to be a regulation for kindergartens that aims to define the number of
qualified teachers that should be in class, in relation to the students on board.

In Australia, the quality of ECEC, is defined through a national framework that is
stated as the national quality framework (NQF). This framework is a consensus between the
government of Australia and all the state governments. This consensual agreement is meant
to make them work together and to bring about better outcomes in the education and
development of children under the ECEC service. The NQF holds a major aspect referred to
as the national quality standard (NQS). The major role of this standard is to set minimal
acceptable outcomes for ECEC, and offer after school care services (Engel, Barnett, Anders
and Taguma, 2015). Services offered in ECEC are assessed and the rated against the national
quality standard. These services fall in certain areas which include health and safety,
environment, both physical and mental and relationships between children, their parents and
teachers.
In Norway, the ECEC workforce comprises of leaders of pedagogy and head-teachers
(Burner and Biseth, 2016). The Norway constitution encompasses a kindergarten act, that
dictates the qualification of staff to be deployed in early childhood education institutions.
Both the headteacher and the pedagogical leader should have tertiary degrees in their
respective career requirements. Their working conditions have been developed in that their
pay is considered satisfactory. To this, a new framework introduced, reduced the number of
subjects offered from ten to six main learning areas. Little information has been provided on
the Australian workforce and working conditions.
It is therefore vivid that both countries play a crucial role in the early childhood
education and care systems. This has been done by improving qualifications, training and
working conditions. The quality of ECEC services in Norway and Australia is appealing and
motivating. The workforce and working conditions in Norway are clearly articulated and
more visible than those in Australia.

References
Burner, T., & Biseth, H. (2016). A Critical Analysis of an Innovative Approach: A Case of
Diversity in Norwegian Education. SAGE Open, 6(4), 2158244016680689.
Eliassen, E. (2018). Cognitive Development and Social Competence in Early Childhood
Education and Care.
Engel, A., Barnett, W. S., Anders, Y., & Taguma, M. (2015). Early childhood education and
care policy review. Norway: OECD.
Mashford-Scott, A., & Church, A. (2011). PROMOTING CHILDREN'S AGENCY IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. Novitas-ROYAL, 5(1).
Taguma, M., Litjens, I., & Makowiecki, K. (2012). Quality Matters in Early Childhood
Education and Care: Finland. OECD Publishing. 2, rue Andre Pascal, F-75775 Paris
Cedex 16, France.