Direction de l'Emploi, du travail et des affaires sociales
Good Practice for Good Jobs in Early Childhood Education and Care
Recruiting and retaining skilled staff is a long-standing challenge for the early
childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. OECD countries are increasingly demanding
that ECEC staff be highly skilled and highly qualified, but a combination of low wages,
a lack of status and public recognition, poor working conditions, and limited opportunities
for professional development mean that recruitment and retention are frequently difficult.
What can countries do to build a highly qualified and well-trained ECEC workforce?
What is the best route to increasing staff skills without exacerbating staff shortages?
How can countries boost pay and working conditions in the context of limited resources?
Building on past OECD work on early childhood education and care, and drawing on the
experience of OECD countries, this report outlines good practice policy measures for
improving jobs in ECEC and for constructing a high-quality workforce.
Published on June 14, 2019Also available in: German
Good Practice for Good Jobs in Early Childhood Education and Care: Eight policy measures from OECD countries (English & German)
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What can countries do to build a highly-qualified and well-trained workforce in early childhood #education and care? @OECD_Social
Pre-school teachers often earn far less than they could elsewhere with their levels of education. Improving pay and recognition would help develop and retain highly-skilled staff @OECD_Social
Boys are far less likely than girls to expect to work in childcare or PreSchool @OECD_Social
Schleicher, A. (2019), Helping our Youngest to Learn and Grow: Policies for Early Learning, International Summit on the Teaching Profession, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264313873-en.
OECD (2018), Engaging Young Children: Lessons from Research about Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care, Starting Strong, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264085145-en.
OECD (2017), "Childcare supports: Helping both parents in paid work", in The Pursuit of Gender Equality: An Uphill Battle, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264281318-20-en.
OECD (2017), Starting Strong V: Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education, Starting Strong, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264276253-en.
OECD (2014), "Does pre-primary education reach those who need it most?", PISA in Focus n°40, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/22260919.