THE NORWEGIAN PERSPECTIVE ON ISSUES OF QUALITY IN DAY-CARE

Since 1953, Norwegian national standards regulate ratios of children t o staff training requirements, group sizes, leadership and subsidies. Both national and local subsidies support the management and qualify l evel of day care centers. In Norway a current viewpoint on quality in day care is to stimulate innovation in day care activities by rewardin g local initiative and creativity. Outdoor activities and giving the c hildren freedom to learn are highly valued. Preschool teacher educatio n, which is three years at college, shares a common frame of a governm ental curricular guideline as well as a nationwide curriculum for day care. A responsive and warm interaction between staff children and par ents is a definite moral value of the preschool teacher profession. Cu rrent issues of quality are related to the shortage of highly qualifie d directors and leaders in public day cave as well as the expansion of private centers with questionable quality. Quality control of day car e centers is now discussed as a necessary surveillance system of the q uality of contexts and interactions in children's daily life.