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Leisure-time centers (LtCs) for young school-aged children have become an integral part of the Nordic education system. This seems to be in a direct conflict with the global push in education towards standardized testing and academic learning outcomes. This study presents a systematic review of the policy concerning LtCs in four Nordic countries: Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. Literature on the educational status of LtCs in these countries was analyzed, and three main themes emerged: (a) the extended role of the school as an integrated organization of school and leisure; (b) the changes in teacher education, which should include a specialization with regard to leisure and informal learning; and (c) the constant tension between traditional school learning and informal learning.
Introduction
The Nordic countries have emphasized the provision of after-school service for young school-aged children, hereafter referred to as leisure-time centers (LtCs). Although such out-of-school programs were initially set up to respond to increasing parental employment, there is evidence that, today, informal learning and leisure are considered an integral part of elementary school education within the Nordic countries. The LtCs are usually school-based but designed to complement school learning with an emphasis on social skills and intrapersonal skills, such as collaboration, independence, and creativity. In most countries, formal cooperation between leisure-care pedagogues and teachers is scarce (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2006). However, in Denmark and Sweden such cooperation is quite formalized. In these countries, leisure-care pedagogues administer and work in the LtCs, but they also work in schools in the mornings, making it possible to have full-time employment.
LtCs generally provide services in the early morning, in the afternoon, and on whole days during school holidays. Historically, they were initially designed to meet the needs of single-parent households and children from disadvantaged families, making sure young school-aged children received care (Klerfelt & Björn, 2014; Pálsdóttir, 2012). Today, LtCs are considered one of the public services in the Nordic countries, provided by municipalities for all families and children. Parents generally pay a proportionate fee, but the state or municipality funds the services. The case of LtCs provides a unique opportunity to explore the role of public education, specifically with regards to the twentieth-century learning skills, such as social skills,...