Each and every person working in the preschool should promote respect for the intrinsic value of each person as well as respect for the environment. This means that kindergartens (barnehager) in Norway should base their activities on ethical values rooted in Christianity1 and humanism - which are assumed to be widely held by the Norwegian population. The Christian and humanist values upon which the plan is based include empathy, forgiveness, a belief in human worth, equality, common responsibility, honesty and fairness. Kindergartens in Norway should also promote human dignity, equality, intellectual freedom, tolerance, health, sustainable development and respect for the environment. The Te Whariki curriculum of New Zealand emphasises the critical role of socially and culturally mediated learning and of reciprocal and responsive relationships for children with people, places and things.