Analyse de l’émergence de la Commission suisse pour l’UNESCO comme actrice centrale dans l’élaboration d’une politique de la petite enfance en Suisse

Abstract

We are currently witnessing the rise of early childhood education as a priority for education systems. International organizations such as UNESCO have also contributed to promoting the idea that early childhood education is cost-effective and necessary for inclusive and equitable education. Thus, Switzerland, like the rest of the world, has acknowledged the scientific evidence, recognizing the early years as critical to cognitive development and later school achievement. Nevertheless, Switzerland is struggling to expand its early childhood education provision and develop a clear policy, the current measures taken are described as a patchwork. The Swiss Commission for UNESCO has therefore undertaken the mission to guide national policy in favor of early childhood education. This article attempts to show how the means of action of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO have evolved regarding early childhood education and to provide a retrospective perspective on the context and political dynamics in which they are embedded.