ENHANCING QUALITY AND EXPANDING ACCESS IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Preschool education plays a crucial role in the formation of a child’s intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. In recent decades, many countries around the world have implemented large-scale reforms aimed at improving the accessibility, quality, and effectiveness of preschool education systems. This article analyzes the development and reform processes of preschool education in several leading countries, including France, Finland, Germany, South Korea, and Sweden. Special attention is paid to government policies, educational coverage rates, innovative pedagogical approaches, and institutional mechanisms that contribute to the improvement of early childhood education. The study demonstrates that developed countries prioritize universal access to preschool education, the introduction of child-centered teaching methods, and the professional development of educators. The findings highlight that investment in early childhood education significantly contributes to the development of human capital and long-term socio-economic progress. Therefore, strengthening preschool education systems has become a key priority in modern educational policy across the world.学前教育对儿童智力、社交、情感与身体发展的塑造起着至关重要的作用。近数十年来，全球诸多国家均推行了大规模改革，旨在提升学前教育体系的可及性、质量与实施成效。本文对法国、芬兰、德国、韩国、瑞典等若干学前教育领先国家的学前教育发展与改革历程展开分析，重点关注助力学前教育提质增效的政府政策、教育覆盖率、创新教学方法以及制度机制。本研究表明，发达国家均将普及学前教育、推行以儿童为中心的教学方法以及提升教育工作者的专业能力作为核心要务。研究结果凸显，学前教育投入对人力资本开发与长期社会经济发展均具有显著推动作用。因此，完善学前教育体系已成为全球现代教育政策的核心优先事项。