An overview of the process of reform in institution and policy concerning the collaboration between early childhood education and care and school education in Sweden : Focus on the studies referring to municipalities

Abstract

This paper aims to review the studies regarding the history of the process of reform in institution and policy concerning the collaboration between early childhood education and care (ECEC) and school education in Sweden, focusing on municipality (kommun). The process can be understood as that of horizontal integration between nursery and education sectors and as that of vertical integration between ECEC and school education. As the reform was pursued in line with decentralization, the process above and the process in which kommun acquired an autonomous role in institution and policy made progress simultaneously. Two challenges for further studies have been indicated: i) it is necessary to conduct studies not only from the perspective of ECEC but also from that of school education in order to have more comprehensive view; and ii) it is also essential to consider uniqueness of each kommun so as to find out the common ground and the diversity among each kommun’s institution and policy