At that time, at least two-thirds of the kindergarten staff must have a qualification as an early childhood education teacher or social worker, and at least half of them must have a previous qualification.
The situation is already critical in terms of the availability of qualified personnel, and it will only become more challenging. The six largest cities estimate that they will need more than 9,000 new early childhood education professionals with university degrees by 2030 to provide early childhood education to all residents and to fulfill the obligations of the Early Childhood Education Act.
According to the early childhood education leaders, the reasons for the personnel shortage are clear. First, the number of children and the participation rate in early childhood education in cities have grown significantly since the 1990s, while the number of qualified teachers has halved. Although efforts have been made to increase the number of teachers in recent years, it has not been enough to solve the shortage.
Without significant measures to address the personnel shortage, cities will not be able to offer early childhood education to all, and the quality of education will suffer. This has far-reaching effects on children, families and the functioning of the labor market.
In addition, the eligibility requirements for the person responsible for the operation of the daycare center will also change in 2030. The person in charge must have the qualification of an early childhood education teacher or social worker, sufficient management skills and at least a master’s degree in educational sciences. science. This means that a university degree is no longer enough and, for example, the career path of social workers is cut off for this position.
The leaders of early childhood education hope that the new government will cooperate with the municipalities to assess the situation and take the necessary measures to remedy the shortage of qualified personnel in early childhood education. It is necessary to invest in education and increase places in teacher training programs to meet the growing demand for early childhood education in cities. Failure to act has consequences for the well-being of children, families and society as a whole.
HT
Source: The Nordic Page