6533b7d2fe1ef96bd125ecf7
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Rationalising public support for private early childhood education and care: the case of Finland
Ville RuutiainenKirsti KarilaMaarit Alasuutarisubject
Early childhood educationPohjoismaatEconomic growthvarhaiskasvatuspäiväkoditSociology and Political Sciencemarketisationpäivähoitoyksityiset palvelutPrivate sectorpublic subsidiesCommercializationSchool choiceEducationearly childhood education and caretukimuodotvalintaNordic countriesSociologyPrivate educationmarkkinaehtoistuminenPublic supportchoicedescription
In Finland, early childhood education and care (ECEC) is traditionally publicly provided. However, private ECEC provision has increased during the past decade, largely as a result of financial support from the public sector. Drawing on qualitative interviews with municipal decision-makers, this article identifies three frames within which publicly subsidised private ECEC provision and marketisation are rationalised: the pragmatic frame, the government frame and the choice frame. The results show that even though market logics and tendencies seem to have gained a strong foothold in local policies, there is a keen interest in universalism and maintaining public control over local ECEC provision. peerReviewed
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-24 | British Journal of Sociology of Education |