Perspectives on Early Childhood Education in Romania: a Qualitative Research

Abstract

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a concept that refers to the period from the birth of the infant to the time when the child begins the kindergarten. In children’s lives, it is a significant time because it is when they first learn how to connect with others, including friends, teachers and parents, and often continue to build passions that will stick with them throughout their existences. It is a period when children develop essential social and emotional skills and a bond is built between the infant, their parents and the teacher. Representative program no. 1 – Increasing access to ECEC under the ESL Strategy aims to implement the following key measures: (i) a coherent framework for ECEC; (ii) involvement of the family (with children 0-3 years) in parental education programs and by providing financial incentives; (iii) qualification, training and retention of early education and care staff. The non-competitive Early Inclusive and Quality Education project, implemented by the Ministry of National Education in partnership with the University of Piteşti, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad and Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava, between 2019 and 2021, aims to implement measures provided in the Representative Program no.1 of the early school leaving Strategy. In the first year of implementation, it is envisaged to develop a diagnostic framework document on the organization and operation of quality services in the field of early education in Romania and to support their implementation in the future. In this context, 8 focus groups are planned to take place in each development region, in order to outline a SWOT analysis of the educational, medical and social services provided in early education in Romania in the last 3 years. This report presents the findings from two focus groups that were organised in Arad and Bistrita by Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad.