抄録
This study discusses trends in early childhood education（ preschool education）, particularly
from ages 3 to 5, and the Early Childhood Education and Care （ECEC） teachers who are
responsible for it. The field of ECEC is being actively approached not only from pedagogy and
ECEC studies but also from economics and other fields that recognize the value of investments
in the field.
In the past, there was a strong interest in improving access to early childhood education
(ensuring quantity), but as the prospects for securing this situation have become more promising,
the international trend has shifted from ensuring quantity to quality, and various measures,
such as the establishment of preschools, are now being proposed.
Meanwhile, to follow this trend, Japan also faced a major shift from quantity to quality
around 2020. This discussion is having a direct impact on the nature and trends of childcare
facilities, such as kindergartens, daycare centers, and ECEC centers, as well as on the roles
and training of childcare personnel (qualified kindergarten teachers and nursery teachers) who
work in these facilities. The contents of the National Curriculum for Kindergarten Education,
the Guidelines for Nursery School Education and Care, and the National Standards for ECEC
center have become interlinked, and a new qualification system for ECEC teachers has also
been considered. On the other hand, the current situation is one of dualization in many areas,
and each site is under pressure to make a difficult decision.Uchida (2016) has already raised
these trends and issues in JSSTE Annual Report No. 25. This paper examines Uchida’s discussion
and examines the latest trends and issues considering subsequent trends and changes.
https://ror.org/012322w18 
