Home and Away – International Innovation Bright Spots and Their Relevance to Australian Contexts

Innovation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is flourishing globally, with countries developing unique means and models to enhance children’s learning and development. 

 

This article explores notable international examples of innovation in the early years, examining their design, delivery, and impact. By comparing these global case studies, we can explore lessons Australia can learn from its neighbours, noting how these innovative approaches can be adapted to nurture our youngest learners.

 

Notable Examples of International Early Childhood Innovations

 

Finland: Play-Based Learning

Finland is world-renowned for its child-centred, play-based approach to early education. Play is the foundation for learning in Finnish early childhood programs, emphasising holistic development, including cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. The Finnish model champions the belief that structured play fosters curiosity and problem-solving, leading to well-rounded learners both in the short and long-term.

 

Who’s involved? The Finnish government spearheads the play-based learning system, with teachers playing a central role in its delivery. Local municipalities develop their own curricula within national guidelines, ensuring flexibility.

 

How is it innovative? Finland’s innovation lies in its resistance to early academic pressure. Instead of rushing children into formal education, the Finnish system emphasises the developmental benefits of free play and exploration, giving children time to simply be children. 

 

How is it monitored? Rather than relying on frequent inspections, Finland’s approach to education is known for the trust it places on highly qualified educators to implement the curriculum, with municipalities providing oversight to ensure alignment with national guidelines.

 

Impacts:

 

• Finland consistently ranks high in international education assessments, with strong student outcomes in literacy, numeracy, and well-being.
• Children demonstrate higher levels of engagement, creativity, and emotional regulation.

 

Strengths / Weaknesses: The Finnish play-based approach to learning is so successful because it is highly flexible and child-led. This fosters deep learning and creativity among the children, as well as educators and teachers. 

 

However, some argue that the approach leaves gaps in structured early literacy and numeracy skills, though evidence suggests these gaps close quickly as children transition into primary school. Finland’s light-touch monitoring and focus on trust and autonomy may be difficult to replicate in countries with stricter regulatory frameworks. 

 

Relevance to Australia: While Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) promotes play-based learning, further integration of unstructured play, as seen in Finland, could reduce the pressure for early academic benchmarks, leading to richer developmental outcomes. Finland’s balanced approach shows that by trusting educators and prioritising children’s natural learning through play, academic and personal development can flourish together. 

 

Japan: Collaborative Learning

In Japan, early childhood education focuses on collaborative learning, which emphasises the importance of children learning together in groups. This approach nurtures social skills, communication, and teamwork, allowing children to develop strong relationships with their peers. It’s built on the belief that children learn best when they can interact, share ideas, and solve problems collectively. 

 

Who’s involved? The Japanese Ministry of Education oversees the curriculum, while teachers facilitate collaborative activities in early childhood settings. Parents and communities often engage with schools to reinforce these values. In a broader sense, this collaborative learning model aligns with Japan’s cultural values, which emphasise harmony and cooperation. 

 

How is it innovative? Japan’s system moves away from an individualistic approach to education, prioritising social harmony and collective learning experiences. Children learn to navigate social interactions, resolve conflicts, and collaborate toward shared goals—skills that are crucial for future academic and life success. This approach significantly helps children to develop essential life skills, such as empathy, negotiation, and conflict resolution. 

 

How is it monitored? In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) outlines the principles of early education, including the importance of social interactions, collaborative learning and play. To aid implementation, teachers are encouraged to participate in ongoing professional development to enhance their skills in facilitating collaborative learning and early childhood programs are regularly evaluated to ensure they adhere to the national guidelines.

 

Impacts:

 

• Children in Japan demonstrate strong social and emotional development, with higher levels of empathy and cooperation.
• Schools report improved communication and conflict resolution skills, both within the classroom and at home.
• Group learning environments help children build lasting friendships and peer support systems.

 

Strengths / Weaknesses: Japan’s collaborative learning curriculum excels in supporting children to build strong social competencies, emotional intelligence, and teamwork. However, this approach does not adequately address the diverse needs of all children as some children find it challenging to engage in group settings which can limit their opportunities for self-directed learning and personal growth. 

 

Relevance to Australia: Australia can gain valuable insights from Japan’s Collaborative Learning Curriculum. By encouraging more collaborative learning, children can build strong social skills, emotional intelligence, and resilience. These qualities are increasingly important in today’s interconnected world where teamwork is essential and align well with the growing focus on social-emotional learning within Australia’s EYLF. Conversely, it is essential that Australia strike a balance between group work and self-directed learning to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences. 

 

Estonia: Digital Literacy in Early Years

Estonia has become a leader in digital literacy, integrating technology into early childhood education. By engaging in age-appropriate activities like coding games, educational apps, and digital storytelling, children are learning how to use technology creatively and effectively. This approach emphasises hands-on experiences, collaboration, and guided exploration rather than passive screen time. 

 

Who’s involved? In Estonia, the integration of digital literacy in early childhood education is supported by national policies and guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Education in partnership with educational technology companies and early childhood educators. 

 

How is it innovative? By introducing digital skills at an early age, Estonia prepares children for future learning and careers where technology plays a significant role. The integration of technology in early education also promotes engagement and motivation, making learning more interactive and enjoyable. 

 

How is it monitored? The Estonian curriculum emphasises the importance of digital competencies as part of a broader framework for early childhood education. Regular assessments and evaluations help monitor the effectiveness of digital literacy initiatives, ensuring that they meet educational standards and support children’s development.

 

Impacts:

 

• Estonia’s children are among the most digitally literate in Europe, with a strong foundation in computational thinking, coding, and problem-solving.
• The integration of digital literacy from an early age has been linked to higher engagement and improved learning outcomes in later years.

 

Strengths / Weaknesses: One of the key strengths of Estonia’s integration of digital literacy in ECEC is that it equips children with the ability to navigate digital environments safely and effectively, preparing them to think critically and independently both now and in the future. Conversely, as you’d expect, these initiatives require significant investment in technology and educator training and there is a risk that disparities in access to resources could lead to unequal educational opportunities for children.

 

Relevance to Australia: Australia can look to Estonia’s model for integrating technology in a way that enhances early learning rather than detracting from it. Balancing screen time with active, creative learning could be key to fostering digital skills in Australian early childhood settings without compromising traditional play-based learning. However, the significant investment required for technology and professional training may not be feasible for all Australian early childhood settings, particularly in rural or underfunded areas. This highlights the need for equitable access to resources, ensuring that all children can benefit from digital literacy initiatives regardless of their socioeconomic background. 

 

Conclusion

 

Global perspectives on early childhood innovation offer a buffet of valuable lessons for Australia. By studying these international approaches, models, processes and more, and reflecting on their successes and challenges, Australia can adapt and implement innovative practices that fit its unique early years educational landscape. From play-based learning to digital literacy, the possibilities are endless.

 

This article marks the final installment of the first season in our Innovation Food for Thought series. Stay tuned for more seasons coming soon where we’ll be diving into innovation and inclusion, AI and linked data, and a heap more cutting-edge possibilities that are arising everyday in early years education.

 

This piece is part of a new series being developed by The Front Project, and has been reshared here with permission. 

 

Known as Food for Thought, the innovation-centred series dives into topics like Artificial Intelligence (AI), linked data, quality, inclusion and more, with the hope of provoking thought, generating discussion, and inspiring collaborative action in the name of purposeful innovation across the early childhood sector. 

 

 To access the Food for Thought series please see here. 

 

Kate Oubridge-Egan, Innovation Lab Manager for The Front Project, would love to hear your thoughts about this piece, and the broader series. To get in touch, please email: [email protected]