Sweden
摘要
Swedish preschool children have historically been seen as playing an important role in the quest for a better society and the development of a sustainable future. In the Swedish National Curriculum for Preschool, the political concept of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) has been added in 2019. It is stated that sustainable development is a fundamental value that everyone who works in a preschool shall strive to promote. More specifically, the children in Swedish preschools should be given opportunities to develop an increased sense of responsibility for and interest in sustainable development, learn to be active participants in society, understand how people, nature and society affect each other, and understand how the different choices that people make in everyday life can contribute to sustainable development. In this chapter, we firstly offer a brief overview about contemporary research on early childhood education for Sustainability (ECEfS) and children’s participation in EfS. Secondly, we describe ECE and ECEfS in our national Swedish context. Thirdly, we present some current research initiatives and examples from Swedish ECEfS practice. Finally, we discuss the challenges and further potential for ECEfS in Sweden.