Multilingual Early Language Transmission (MELT) - Mercator ...

exclude the increasing social class differences, religious issues or bullying due to disability as
an important part of the program. Particularly the themes of multilingualism and
multicultural education is tied to a social justice perspective. In Finland, as a Nordic welfare
state, it is important that early childhood education is a socially just education. Many recent
studies also have found that there is a fair amount of bullying in daycare and in schools in
Finland (Stoor-Grenner & Kirves, 2011). Therefore fostering an accepting or a cosmopolitan
attitude towards others is important. Our long term goal is that this teacher education
program will contribute to decreasing prejudice and discrimination as well as marginalization
of young people.
The early childhood teachers need to have an understanding of the whole spectrum of
diversity in Finland even if certain aspects or groups might not be represented in their
daycare centers or preschools. Today most of the population has a limited and often
stereotypical view of the Samis and Romas. Most teachers do not have the historical
understanding of the societal structures that are part of the reason that the Romas
traditionally have not done well in schools. Even though the curriculum is supportive of
these groups the multicultural curriculum is directed only to the Romas and Samis
themselves and not to the rest of the population (Finnish National Board of Education 2004).
Likewise a deep understanding of the educational issues related to students of immigrant
background is also lacking. Teachers are often supportive on a rhetorical level but unwilling
to adjust their own teaching to be culturally responsive (Mansikka & Holm, 2010; Talib,
2005).
The third theme arts education consists of children’s culture, creative work as well as selfexpression
and cooperation. These three areas are intended to foster children’s imagination
and creativity as well as learning to enjoy the arts. We want to emphasize the arts as a
contrast to the increasing focus on academic aspects of early childhood education. Our aim
is to see the whole child in accordance with the official guidelines (Ministry of Social Affairs
and Health, 2002).
The importance of minority language university education
To be a teacher requires solid knowledge of one’s own language, how language develops
and research about bilingualism in order to be able to further mono- and bilingual children’s
language development and skills. This is one of the main reasons why we have developed
this new program. It was very difficult for the Swedish speaking high school students to be
accepted to the highly competitive Finnish early childhood education program at the
University of Helsinki and since the only Swedish speaking program was located far away
there was a severe shortage of qualified early childhood education teachers in the
metropolitan Helsinki region. The lack of qualified teachers was not only bad for the Swedish
speaking children who have the right to daycare and schooling in Swedish but also meant
that there was a high risk that bilingual parents would withdraw their children from the
Swedish speaking daycare centers and pre-schools. In addition it is important for the preservice
teachers to attend a Swedish speaking program in order to get a solid grasp of the
Swedish speakers’ cultural knowledge. In a Finnish program they would of course get the
Finnish cultural knowledge. Hence for the survival of Swedish children’s culture such as
songs, riddles and stories a program in Swedish is needed. More subtle aspects such as
values, customs and ways of interaction are also slightly different and important for the
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