A Comparative Study of Policy Intentions and Institutional Conditions for Mandatory Preschool Education in Four French-speaking European Countries

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K02480
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09010:Education-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: FUJII Hodaka 筑波大学, 人間系, 教授 (50238531)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 幼児教育 / 義務化 / フランス / ベルギー / ルクセンブルク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was tasked with answering the academic question of why early childhood education was made compulsory in French-speaking countries in Europe. In Luxembourg, the earliest country to make early childhood education compulsory, the background was the special situation of being a major immigrant country and having education in three languages.In France, where compulsory education from the age of three was realized, it was in recognition of the importance of early childhood education in the educational system and to strengthen the decisive role of early childhood education in reducing inequalities, especially in terms of language On the other hand, in Belgium, where compulsory education is only compulsory from the age of five, the "principle of balance" in the Constitution was activated by the need for coordination between Wallonia, which was proactive in making education compulsory, and Flanderen, which was proactive in encouraging it.

Free Research Field

教育制度論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

わが国では教育基本法において「幼児期の教育」が「生涯にわたる人格形成の基礎を培う重要なものである」と明記されている（11条）。幼児教育がその基礎を培う普遍的な役割を担うものであるならば、一人ひとりの幼児にその機会を実質的に保障すべく制度的な措置が講じられるはずであり、義務化はその究極の形態である。実際、ヨーロッパの38か国のうち、初等教育の前の段階で少なくとも1年間の幼児教育（又は保育）を義務化している国は16カ国に及んでいる。ヨーロッパのフランス語圏4か国ではなぜ幼児教育は義務化されたのか、という問いに応えることは、幼児教育研究にとっても義務教育研究にとっても十分な学術的意義を有する。