Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care 2019

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Author: European Union

Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care 2019

Only one third of children aged 0-3 has access to center-based early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings.

The report provides indicators on the key quality areas of governance, access, staff, educational guidelines as well as evaluation and monitoring. Cross-cutting these key areas, it presents a child-centered approach, with special attention being paid to the inter-relatedness of policies in different areas. The importance of inclusiveness in education is also stressed as high quality ECEC is considered to be one of the best ways to increase equity and equality in society.

Part one provides policymakers, researchers and parents with comparative information on the current ECEC policies across Europe. Part two gives an overview of the key features of national ECEC systems accompanied by a diagram of their structure.

The scope of the report is wide, covering center-based and regulated home-based provision in both the public and private sectors in the 38 European countries (43 education systems) participating in the EU’s Erasmus+ programme. It includes the 28 Member States of the European Union as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey.

Mapping of research on Roma children in the European Union

This report addresses the acknowledged scarcity of quality, disaggregated, child focused data on Roma children which is widely seen to impede the development of positive policies and programmes promoting full realisation of their rights.

The countries that were selected for mapping on the basis of their estimated Roma population and their capacity to benefit from Roma related research included Albania; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; the Czech Republic; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Kosovo; Netherlands; Romania; Serbia; Slovakia and Spain. Seventy-four research areas were identified, divided into nine thematic areas – child protection; civil registration; discrimination; education; employment; health; housing; migration; and social protection.

Roma Health Report: data collection in the Member States of the European Union

The purpose of this report is to provide an evidence-based review of literature on Roma health, covering 2008-2013 and the following indicators:

1. Mortality and life expectancy
2. Prevalence of major infectious diseases
3. Healthy life styles and related behaviours
4. Access and use of health services and prevention programmes
5. Prevalence of major chronic diseases
6. Health factors related to the role of women in the Roma community
7. Environmental and other socio-economic factors

The methodology used was based on two steps: (i) Desk Research based on the review of secondary data (a literature review); and (ii) Fieldwork collecting primary data through semi-structured interviews.

Inclusiveness of Early Childhood Education and Care: Seven Case Studies across Europe Executive Summary

This report focuses on the experiences and perceptions of disadvantaged families (in particular, low-income families with and without a migration background) in the field of early childhood education and care. It presents case studies based on focus groups with parents and interviews with professionals working in the ECEC sector in seven cities in Europe. It distinguishes between (un)equal opportunities, (un)equal treatment and (un)equal outcomes in analysing different sources of inequalities and possibilities to address them. Unequal opportunities are defined as inequalities in exogenous conditions (e.g. family income) that affect the accessibility of ECEC services. Unequal treatment refers to endogenous barriers within the services, either at systems or at local implementation level. Strategies to combat inequalities can promote either more equal opportunities or more equal treatment. In some cases, ‘equal outcomes strategies’ reach beyond this distinction and indeed involve priority treatment of disadvantaged groups.

Roma and the enforcement of anti-discrimination law

In general, the situation of Roma children, pupils and students remains challenging across Europe.

This report aims to examine the current situation of the enforcement of non-discrimination law in Europe with regard specifically to Roma and their rights. The report is based on the professional assessment of 27 national non-discrimination experts of the European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination, and covers all EU Member States, with the exception of Malta.

It contains a chapter on education which includes an analysis on school segregation.

Effective Roma integration measures in the Member States

This European Commission communication reports some conclusions regarding on the implementation of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. It also reviews the Roma integration measures put in place in different countries under the EU Council Recommendation.

Accelerating the process of Roma integration – Council Conclusions

The 2016 Council of the European Union conclusions state firmly that the EU Member States and the Council have to continue cooperation in accordance with the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS). Member States are asked to: accelerate the implementation of the NRIS; ensure equal access to employment and education; ensure that the situation of Romani children is addressed in mainstream policies or in targeted measures; increase the efforts to eliminate all forms of segregation in education by promoting equal access to inclusive as well as quality early childhood education and care; eliminate the segregation of Roma children in special schools. It is urged to the European Commission to provide continuous support, guidance and funding to national, regional and local authorities, Roma civil society and other relevant actors actively engaged in Roma integration.