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Diverstity and centrism in two contrasting early childhood education and care systems: Slovakia and Indonesia compared

  • Branislav Pupala , Hani Yulindrasari EMAIL logo and Maria Melita Rahardjo
Published/Copyright: April 24, 2022

Abstract

National early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems have been shaped by external influences and have taken different forms in developed countries than in post-colonial countries. This study systematically compares and examines the autonomous elements in national ECEC systems and the countervailing homogenisation process in Slovakia and Indonesia -two countries located in a different hemisphere with different historical, cultural, and political backgrounds. The study shows new rhetoric triggering different tendencies. In Slovakia, the “competency” and “standards” turn led to steps to increase ECEC institutions’ autonomy and give them greater power to create tailor-made education programmes. While in Indonesia, the turn went in the opposite direction, reinforcing curriculum centralisation and increasing its regulatory functions regarding ECEC. This shift towards the same discourse, terminology and concepts does not automatically trigger processes that lead to a significant similarity and the convergence between ECEC systems due to their specific historical, cultural, and political contexts.

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by VEGA agency under grant 1/0002/21.

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Published Online: 2022-04-24
Published in Print: 2022-04-26

© 2022 Institute for Research in Social Communication, Slovak Academy of Sciences

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