Mind the crèche! Controversial perspectives on the educational quality of Romanian crèches

ABSTRACT
This study aims at capturing the actual status of policy
implementation of ECEC policy in Romania, which entangles not
only policy-makers, experts and social actors per se but also a
complicated history of crèche as an institution and parenting
traditions. Based on both quantitative and qualitative data the
study analyses the international, national and local levels of
implementation of new ECEC quality goals raising two questions:
how do stakeholders (experts, practitioners and parents) define
quality in ECEC institutions for children from one to three years,
and how do the stakeholders interplay with international quality
goals? Using a comparative case study approach (Bartlett, Lesley
Erin, and Frances K. Vavrus. 2014. “Transversing the Vertical Case
Study: A Methodological Approach to Studies of Educational
Policy as Practice.” Anthropology and Education Quarterly 45: 131–
147; Bartlett, Lesley, and Frances Vavrus. 2017. “Comparative Case
Studies: An Innovative Approach.” Nordic Journal of Comparative
and International Education (NJCIE) 1 (1)) the study reflects on the
perceptions, expectations and negotiations of quality from the
stakeholder’s point of view. The study shows, how experts orient
towards international criteria, whereas practitioners orient
themselves towards the parent. The study also shows that
children’s perspective is absent for all stakeholders.