The views of kindergarten staff on educational objectives in post-socialist society

Over the past decade great changes have occurred in the Estonian system of education, including changes in the content and organisation of early childhood education. The aim of the present study is to find out about the views of staff of early childhood institutions on educational objectives, some aspects of the educational process and the role of family in childrearing. We used a questionnaire involving 342 participants, including 95 heads of kindergartens and 247 teachers. The results indicate that a holistic approach to personality and taking into account a child's individual characteristics are considered the most important educational objectives by the kindergarten staff. They also emphasise the necessity of creating a playful and pleasant atmosphere in kindergartens. At the same time, the study has revealed that the kindergarten staff attach importance to the child-centred approach in the kindergarten whereas cooperation with families is not considered equally important. Kindergarten staff are not ready to take parents as equal partners and share responsibility with them. The results of the study are compared with the educational objectives of a socialist society.