Initial professional studies for working with children under-three: Contemporary trends in Europe and Australasia

Resumo

Over the last few decades, the Western world has faced major changes in the social, economic and demographic realms that have influenced the way of conceptualizing and organizing the provision for children under-three and generated attention towards the professional preparation in this sector. This article aims to present an analysis of the initial professional studies (IPS) of core professionals that work in centre-based services, both in Europe and Australasia. Secondary data from policy documents and open access databases were analysed considering three interrelated aspects: ECEC governance and its implications for IPS, minimum qualification requirements and recent policy initiatives. Results show the positive impact of integrated systems in IPS, a wide diversity of qualification requirements, the recent efforts of some countries in levering professional preparation, but also the challenges and pitfalls concerning a collective (ethical) commitment towards the education of younger citizens.