Critical Review of Research and Policy on Transitions to School from 2000 to 2024 in Finland
摘要
This chapter provides a concise overview and analysis of transition to school research, policies, and practices in Finland from the perspectives of institutional, professional, and pedagogical continuity, as well as children’s holistic experiences during transitions. We also offer a synopsis of the current issues and challenges. Historically, there has been a division between early childhood education and care and primary school. As this institutional split remains in place, pre-primary education as a bridging phase has garnered increasing political attention. This review introduces the implementation of a 2-year pre-primary education trial and flexible pre-primary and school transition programmes as some of the current trends and strategic measures deployed to overcome historical challenges and to respond to the societal aims of supporting educational equity and quality.