This study produced by the Eurydice network gives a detailed picture of the provisions available for child education in some 30 countries participating in the EU Lifelong Learning programme.

It addresses some major issues faced today by the nearly one in eight households across Europe which are caring for a child under the age of 6. More specifically, the study examines the measures taken to favour participation of the most disadvantaged social groups. It is part of the follow-up to the 2006 Commission Communication on Equity and Efficiency in European Education and Training Systems.

The study presents the available cross-national data and examines national policies on early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Europe. It aims to answer the following questions: how is early childhood education and care organised in Europe? What are the benefits? Which policies facilitate access to it for all? It also draws some tentative conclusions as to what might be needed in order to provide effective ECEC.

The data of the study relate to the school year 2006-2007 while the background data from Eurostat mostly refer to 2005-06.
87 % of 4 year olds attend an educational institution in Europe
The European Commission has recently suggested a new benchmark, whereby 90% of 4 year olds should participate in pre-primary education by 2020. In 2006 on average, 87% at this age were already involved in some form of pre-primary education, but national situations vary significantly. Also, the enrolment of 3 year olds in such programmes is a growing trend since 2000 and currently reaches 74% across Europe (10% growth on average with a sharper rise in Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and Norway for example). All countries in Europe offer some form of early programmes for children before the start of compulsory schooling, yet major discrepancies exist between countries or even regions, in terms of starting age, participation rates and type of ECEC provision available.

Source Eurostat

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