Conference program

Session 1: 10:00-13:00

The Nordic Way

10:00-10:40

ECEC in the Nordic countries: A policy for belonging, participation and social mobility

Welcome by the hosts
Jan Tore Sanner, Minister of Education Norway
Steffen Handal, Leader of Union of Education Norway

The Nordic Way – building trust and a sense of belonging
Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary General, Nordic Council of Ministers

10:40-11:35

The Nordic approach –  history and developments
Professor Tora Korsvold, Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Norway.

Nordic ECEC Policies: Principles and Practices
Professor Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, University of Iceland

11:35-12:00

Coffee break 25 min

12:00-13:00

International perspectives on Nordic ECEC – discussing relevance to global developments

Nordic childhoods – an international view.
Professor Judith Wagner, Whittier College, US.

Reflections on the Nordic ECEC tradition for Education 2030
Miho Taguma, Senior Policy Analyst, OECD

The Nordic tradition – an international professional perspective
David Edwards, General Secretary, Education International (EI)

13:00-14:00

Lunch

Session 2: 14:00 -14:55

The intrinsic value of childhood in Nordic ECEC

A childhood perspective on ECEC institutions
Professor Jan Kampmann, Roskilde University, Denmark

Children’s right to participation – opportunities and obstacles in everyday interaction
Professor Emerita Berit Bae, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Session 3: 14:55-17:45

An holistic view on play, learning and pedagogy

The concept of care in an educare-model and the toddlers in the Nordic ECEC
Associate Professor Christian Eidevald, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

15:15-15:30

Coffee break 15 min

15:30-16:10

Café discussion on Nordic ECEC (See list of Topics)
Interactive session with conference participants and Nordic presenters

16:10-16:50

Play and learning in Nordic pedagogy
Professor Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Scary, risky play – a Nordic contribution to a pedagogy of exploration
Professor Ellen Beate Sandseter, Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Norway.

16:50-17:45

Armchair discussion I
The role of play in children’s well-being, development and learning

17:45-18:00

Wrapping it up

A children’s rights perspective
Children’s Ombudsman Elisabeth Dahlin, Sweden

19:30–22:00

Reception and Conference Dinner

Wednesday 27 March

Session 4: 09:00-11:15

Why quality ECEC is part of politics for social equity?

Political and professional perspectives

Voices on quality ECEC
Interviews with ministers and parents on why a policy for quality ECEC is important
Filmproduction DSS

The politics of belonging
Jaana Juutinen, PhD, Post-doctoral researcher, University of Oulu, Finland

Promoting diversity across ECEC
Associate Professor Anne Kultti, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Armchair discussion II
Why quality ECEC is part of politics for social equity?
Anna Ekström, Minister for Education, Sweden & Jan Tore Sanner, Minister of Education and Integration, Norway

Armchair discussion III
European inititiatives for social inclusion, developing policies for the future
Géraldine Libreau, the European Commission, Susan Flocken, ETUCE, Mihaela Ionescu, ISSA and Johanna Jaara Åstrand, The Swedish Teachers Union

11:15-11:45

Coffee break 30 min

Session 5: 11:45-16:30

Professionalism in ECEC – The role of teachers

What is teaching in a Swedish pre-school
Professor Pia Williams and Professor Emerita Sonja Sheridan, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

The kindergarten teacher role – developments and challenges in Norway
Professor Kjetil Børhaug, University of Bergen, Norway

Teachers and the learning environment – implementing the new curriculum framework in Denmark
Anne Kjær Olsen, Head of further education programme, University College Copenhagen, Denmark

ECEC teachers’ possibilities to tackle inequalities
Professor Kirsti Karila, University of Tampere, Finland

13:15-14:15

Lunch

14:15-15:00

Poster session – new research on Nordic ECEC (see programme)

15:00-16:30

Pedagogy and the teacher role: an international provocation
Professor Iram Siraj, University of Oxford, UK

Armchair discussion IV
Is there a Nordic way of teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care?
Sonja Sheridan, Kjetil Børhaug, Anne Kjær Olsen, Iram Siraj

Comment on the teacher role in Nordic ECEC
Steffen Handal, Union of Education, Norway

16:30-17:00

Wrapping it up

The Nordic way – policies for democracy and active participation
Anders Rusk, General Secretary, Nordic Teachers´ Council
Rikke Høistad Sjøberg, State Secretary to the Minister of Education and Integration