Learning with other countries: International models of early education and care, published by Daycare Trust, outlines how the world's best early education and childcare services are designed and delivered.
The report includes papers by experts from six countries: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Flanders in Belgium, New Zealand and the UK.
Daycare Trust policy and campaigns manager Daniela Reale said, 'This report shows how far we have yet to go in the UK if we are to achieve the best for our children in terms of the services needed to help them thrive. What it also shows is that to achieve world-class services for all our children we need a world-class, highly-qualified and skilled workforce and world-class funding.'
According to the report, those countries with universal access to high-quality, affordable childcare spend between 1 and 2 per cent of GDP on services and cap parental costs at no more than one-third of actual costs.
Britain spends just 0.54 per cent of GDP on early education and care and parents pay around 75 per cent of actual costs.
The growing interest in international models of provision was also highlighted at last week's conference, 'Reforming the early years workforce', organised by Early Years Update. There, Dr Claire Cameron of the Thomas Coram Research Unit outlined the Unit's vision for introducing two levels of pedagogue in the UK - a Level 5 professional/ graduate practitioner and a level 3 pedagogue assistant.
The Research Unit favours the pedagogue model over the teaching models outlined in the Government's Children's Workforce Strategy consultation, because the pedagogue, they believe, takes a holistic approach and transcends divisions of care, education and health.
'We have to get over the unfamiliarity of pedagogy and we need a fairly radical shift in our thinking to bring this vision about,' said Dr Cameron.
Copies of Learning with other countries are available from the Daycare Trust (tel: 020 7840 3350), priced 12.50 (including p&p), or visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk.
