For those aged between 3 and 5 years old, services have historically been (and continue to be) dominated by the comprehensive ecole maternelle (preschool) system - public, centre-based services that, like the Swedish preschools, are considered a core part of the national educational system. Even as early as 1960-61 the ecole maternelle system catered to around 63.3% of children aged between 3 and 5, although considerable expansion during the 1960s and 1970s saw coverage widen to roughly 97% by 1980-81 (Bouysse etal., Since 1989, all 3-to-5 year-olds have been entitled to a place in the local ecole maternelle, with participation steady at (or effectively at) 100% ever since (ibid.).