What’s SWOT in attitudes towards young children in Danish after-school provision: perceptions from an ‘Irish lens’

Abstract

Based on observations of afterschool provision and interviews with stakeholders in Copenhagen, Denmark, this paper presents a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the attitudes of adults towards children. Some key strengths are that children are treated as active citizens in a democratic environment and that autonomy and socialisation are considered essential components of the curriculum. This paper reflects on these observations and proceeds to compare Danish and Irish data on health and well-being of older children and voter participation in young adults. In doing so, possible long-term outcomes are hypothesised in order to stimulate reflection and discussion.