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.