Horizons of Quality in Early Childhood Education: Defamiliarizing the Distant and Familiarizing the Local

Abstract

This article aims to present different perspectives on the concept of quality in Early Childhood Education, addressing indicators, concepts, parameters, and recommendations. It draws upon international and supranational frameworks by analyzing three key documents: two documents from the European Union, which specifically address the enhancement of quality in early childhood care and education services, and a third document from UNESCO, discusses transformative Early Childhood Education. After broadening the analytical scope on the theme, the article turns to local specificities, advocating for the development of quality parameters grounded in local contexts, shaped by Brazil's social diversities. The goal is to critically examine and decolonize the prescriptions of quality parameters and indicators— their relevance, but to support reflection on how such instruments can either promote educational quality or merely expose its absence. At the heart of this debate lies the challenge of defining educational quality as a scientifically and socially grounded policy for Early Childhood Education, without first thoroughly addressing the particularities of this educational stage at the national level. It is essential to anticipate and reach consensus on the characteristics that constitute quality, so they can be recognized not only by specialists but by all citizens. The article reflects on whether the debates and negotiations surrounding conceptions of quality have led to meaningful progress and what practical and material implications these documents hold for institutional contexts within Early Childhood Education.