Sweden

Sweden – a pocket guide 145
As in the schools, democratic values, demokratiska
värderingar, constitute the foundation of the child care
system. Children are thus sometimes permitted to take part
in making decisions; they learn to respect one another, to
take other viewpoints into consideration and to understand
human differences as a natural part of life. All children
should feel secure and be able to develop on the basis of
their own particular talents.
Pre-school co-operates with parents, who have an important
role to play in child care. After all, they know their
children best. When a child starts at a pre-school or family
day nursery, the parents come along until the child feels
comfortable. The introductory period usually takes a couple
of weeks for the youngest children and somewhat less
for older children. If you have children attending a preschool
or recreation centre, you will be invited to come in
for a child development discussion, utvecklingssamtal. This
is your opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with the
school staff. It is also a good time to ask about things you
may wonder about.
Many parents also take the opportunity to talk to the staff
when they pick up their children in the afternoon. The important
thing is to work together to make sure that the children
enjoy the best possible conditions. Sometimes the staff
can help parents, and sometime parents can help the staff.
GOOD TO KNOW
• The pre-school curriculum, Läroplan för förskolan,
can be found at www.skolverket.se. You can also
read the curriculum at libraries or your child’s preschool.
• The Education Act, Skollagen, can be found at the
same Internet address
Child care