The preschool child of today — The world-citizen of tomorrow?

Abstract

Ideas of sustainable development, globalization and global citizenship raise questions about justice, rights, responsibility and caring for human beings and the world. Interest in the role of education for sustainable development has increased during the last decades, however little attention has been directed to early education. Even if the moral dimension in learning for sustainable development is evident it is seldom discussed or analysed. The aim of this paper is to discuss issues in everyday interaction as aspects of learning for sustainable development in preschool. The examples used as the basis for discussion are drawn from research on morality among young children (aged 1–6 years) in various daycare contexts in Sweden. From the analyses certain core values and competences are identified as tentative dimensions in early learning for global citizenship.