Abstract
This paper aims to expand the concept of “continuity” by reviewing the institutional and policy trends in the collaboration between early childhood education and care and primary education in Japan and Sweden. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has proposed three concepts of continuity: developmental continuity, professional continuity, and pedagogical continuity. While Japanese trends primarily focus on pedagogical continuity, an analysis of Swedish trends identified a fourth concept: “philosophical continuity.” This concept expands on the aforementioned three by seeking to encompass the perspectives of all children, including those who require special consideration or support, based on democratic values and children’s rights, such as the right to express their views and to participate.
