Authors

• Office of Ombudsman for Children

Keywords

bullying, children, day nurseries, friends, learning, play, pre-primary education, pre-primary schools, preschool children

Abstract

The dataset examined children's opinions and experiences of pre-primary education (preschool). Children's views and experiences were explored through questions concerning, for example, toys, play, learning, bullying, rest and mealtime at preschool.

First, the child's parent was asked for background information on the child, family and parents, after which the child was interviewed. The first questions for the children concerned toys, play and friends at preschool. For example, the children were asked whether they were allowed to play enough at preschool. Next, the children were asked what they had learned, what they needed help with from adults and what they were good at in preschool. After this, the children's experiences of rest time and bullying at preschool were investigated. Finally, the children were asked about mealtime and, in general, what they considered the most boring and the best aspects of preschool.

Background variables included the language used in the interview, number of children in the family, child's living arrangements and gender, region and major region, family's financial situation, the educational level of the parent with the higher education, whether the child attended one-year or two-year pre-primary education, and whether the child participated in complementary pre-primary education and care and the frequency of participation.