Fanney Dóróthe Halldórsdóttir, Director of the Education and Public Health Department, says the changes will come into effect on 1 September in all of Hafnarfjörður's nurseries. The nursery school day will be defined in terms of hours within each day and within the school year, and the nursery school calendar will be, on average, 180 days a year, similar to the primary school calendar. Other days will be so-called registration days, and parents will register their children on those days, that is, during the winter holiday, Christmas holiday, Lent and partly during the summer.
More time together, stronger professional work and lower nursery fees
„The changes are primarily based on the view that the welfare of young children of preschool age is better ensured by a suitably long day at nursery school. We hope that the changes will reduce the number of weekly hours of care, as many parents now have greater scope for flexible working hours. This also provides an opportunity to lower the fees for a nursery place,“ says Fanney.
The changes will be extremely convenient for families and help the local authority to retain skilled professionals and attract more qualified staff. With a structured day at nursery, it is even more likely that the professional staff's time will be better utilised with the children.
- Shorter stays for children have a positive effect on the school day and reduce the pressure on the children in each group. Structured activities take place from 9 am to 3 pm. Free play takes place from 7:30 am to 9 am and after 3 pm.
- A reduction in nursery fees has a direct impact on households, and the financial benefit of shortening children's time from a 40-hour week to 30 hours saves approximately 30% on nursery fees. In addition, the family gains more time together.
- Parents will have the opportunity to register the hours they need and that suit their family; flexible hours will be offered. Until now, parents have not been able to purchase the hours they want, but this will now be possible, thereby reducing their expenses.
„The Hafnarfjörður approach to nursery education
Fanney says the changes are well-considered, and a working group was in operation from October 2022 until November 2023. The ideas are developed by staff at Hafnarfjörður in collaboration with the local council and stakeholders, and are part of the so-called 'Hafnarfjörður Pathway' in the nursery school matters.
„The Hafnarfjörður approach comprises a number of measures that have been implemented in recent years, in addition to those that are currently being introduced. We took a major step forward in December 2022 when the „Better Working Hours in Preschools“ initiative for professionals was launched. This was done to improve working conditions in nurseries and to create a working environment and working hours for nursery teachers that are more in line with those in primary schools, increase the likelihood of attracting more professionals, and thus promote even greater professionalism and quality in nursery education.
Teachers and other academic staff take their accrued shortening of the working week during the winter holidays, the Christmas holidays, Holy Week, and partly during the summer. “Experience shows us that more nursery children are on holiday with their parents and there is more flexibility for professionals to be away from work," explains Fanney.
Long days and high staff turnover called for changes
„The reason we embarked on these changes was concern about the long waiting times for children and a desire to meet the needs of families with greater flexibility. However, there has been a shortage of nursery teachers and other professionally qualified staff for educational work. Staffing challenges and excessive staff turnover have characterised nursery education in recent years, not only in Hafnarfjörður but also in numerous other municipalities.
We wanted to address this and believe we have found a way to fulfil our statutory duties in nurseries, ensuring that children receive the education, care and services that nurseries are intended to provide.
At the same time, we manage to serve the needs of parents and the labour market. We believe that these changes mark the future of our nursery work,“ says Fanney.
Early support is key to success
„Professional and responsible work with children from infancy is our starting point, and this change supports stronger, coordinated work within each nursery school. Hafnarfjörður wants to be progressive and a leader in this work, as well as in others.
Early support for parents and children is key to success and reduces the likelihood of problems later on. We have been determined to fulfil our role well in this regard. “This is one, but a very important link in our chain," says Fanney.
Positive reception and benefits already revealed
„The arrangement has been publicised to parents and the school community. The reception has been generally positive and we have not received any feedback about negative effects of this arrangement. After the nurseries“ summer holidays, a vigorous promotional campaign will be launched again, and we expect people will then immediately start to experience the benefits," explains Fanney, adding that the benefits of the Hafnarfjörður route are already starting to pay off.
„The last time figures on the educational level in nurseries were compiled, the proportion of teachers had increased by 1.5% and the increase in other university-educated staff within the nurseries amounted to 3%, which is more than we have seen for a long time. Hafnarfjörður is a family-friendly community and places an emphasis on serving children and their parents as well as possible. The work, teaching and training within the school day will become more targeted, resulting in increased well-being, happier children, parents and staff, and a strong, purposeful professional practice.“