Educational inequalities begin long before children enter primary school, shaping their learning opportunities and future outcomes from an early age. High-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) can help children develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, but access to these services remains unequal across Europe. The latest STRIDE working paper examines how different early childhood education reforms have been implemented in five European countries and what they reveal about efforts to reduce educational inequalities.
The paper titled “Overcoming inequality in early childhood education and care: A comparative analysis of five European countries” compares reforms introduced in England, Poland, Hungary, Norway and Denmark. Although each country adopted a different approach, they all shared a common objective: improving opportunities for children by strengthening early childhood education and care. By comparing these experiences, the study identifies common challenges, highlights promising practices, and explores the conditions that enable reforms to contribute to more equitable education systems.
Five countries, different reforms
The report examines five national reforms that expanded or strengthened early childhood education in different ways.
These reforms include:
- England‘s Sure Start programme, bringing together education, health and family support services for children living in disadvantaged communities.
- Poland‘s expansion of preschool education by increasing the number of places and improving affordability.
- Hungary‘s introduction of compulsory kindergarten attendance from age 3.
- Norway‘s free kindergarten hours for children from low-income families.
- Denmark‘s nationwide language assessments to identify children’s learning needs before compulsory schooling begins.
Expanding access is not enough.
The report shows that increasing access to early childhood education is only one part of reducing educational inequalities. The quality of services, affordability, accessibility and targeted support for disadvantaged children all influence whether reforms achieve their intended outcomes. Simply creating more places does not automatically ensure that every child benefits equally.
Across the five countries, the study also found that successful reforms depend on long-term political commitment, sustainable funding and effective implementation. Local conditions, family engagement and cooperation between education and other public services play an important role in determining whether policies have a lasting impact.
Learning from different experiences
Rather than identifying a single model for all countries, the working paper highlights the value of learning from different national experiences. The research combines quantitative evidence with interviews with policymakers, researchers, and education professionals, as well as an analysis of media coverage and public debate. This approach provides a broader understanding of how reforms are designed, implemented and experienced in practice.
The comparison also shows that early childhood education policies do not operate in isolation. Their success is closely connected to wider social policies, available resources and the ability of governments to ensure that support reaches the children and families who need it most.
Supporting more equitable education systems
The working paper provides valuable evidence for policymakers, researchers and practitioners working to reduce educational inequalities. Comparing reforms across five European countries shows that early childhood education can contribute to more equitable outcomes when policies combine high-quality services with inclusive implementation and sustained public investment.
Overall, the report demonstrates that giving every child a fair start in life requires more than expanding access to ECEC alone. Long-term success depends on designing policies that respond to local needs, remove barriers to participation and provide consistent support throughout children’s early years.
The full paper is available for download on the publications page of the STRIDE website and on Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20444002).
