Plans and Networks for Early Childhood Education and Pre-primary Education
The pedagogical activities in early childhood education and pre-primary education are based on the national core curriculum. The curricula and Oulu’s education program serve as the starting points for development.
Daycare centers prepare an annual action plan, which serves as the basis for planning, implementation, evaluation, and development. In Oulu, each daycare group prepares a group-specific plan (ryhmävasu), which is a tool for staff to support self-assessment, teamwork, and pedagogical planning.
According to the Early Childhood Education Act, an early childhood education plan is prepared for each child in daycare or family daycare in cooperation with the guardians. The child participates in the preparation of the plan according to their age level. The plan sets goals for the staff’s activities.
In pre-primary education, a learning plan is prepared for each child in cooperation with the child and the guardians.
VASU Networks
The Early Childhood Education Pedagogical Steering Group guides, directs, develops, and evaluates local early childhood education and pre-primary education, and brings up topics related to the development of pedagogy for discussion.
In Oulu, each area has early childhood education development networks, known as VASU Networks. These networks discuss current development themes and bring the perspectives of daycare centers and family daycare into the development of early childhood education.
Each daycare center has a designated VASU coordinator who, together with the daycare director, is responsible for unit-specific development work in accordance with the early childhood education plan.
Pre-primary and Primary Education Networks
In the City of Oulu’s education and cultural services, there is a pre-primary and primary education cooperation team called Alpo, which monitors, develops, supports, and evaluates the development work of pre-primary and primary education.
Pre-primary and primary education development teachers coordinate network work in collaboration with the Alpo team. These development teachers support and guide the implementation of local cooperation in different areas.
Each area in Oulu has pre-primary and primary education regional networks, managed by area coordinators. These networks discuss current development themes and plan the pedagogy for children aged 5-8 and the implementation of cooperation between pre-primary and primary education. The networks bring perspectives on the development of pre-primary and primary education.
Each daycare center has a designated pre-primary education liaison teacher who participates in regional network meetings together with the daycare director.