Comments on: Testing 2 year olds? Time to emigrate

By: Single Mother Ahoy

Single Mother Ahoy — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 15:01:00 +0000

Have you heard of Sir Ken Robinson? He did a fantastic Ted talk about how schools are killing creativity and used the example of Gillian Lynne, who’s a famous choreographer but when she was at school in the 30s they thought she had something wrong with her because she couldn’t sit still. If she were in school nowadays she would be dosed up on Ritalin and given a label, and the world would never have had the likes of Cats.
Whenever I hear the latest tosh to come out of Gove’s mouth I can’t decide whether to home school my daughter or just leave the country!

(incidentally, I wrote a similar post on my blog today: http://www.singlemotherahoy.com/2014/04/do-we-expect-too-much-of-nurseries-and.html)

By: Fi McGarry

Fi McGarry — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:17:20 +0000

Scotland!

By: Fi McGarry

Fi McGarry — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:16:05 +0000

Move to Scotland. Vote for independence.

By: RebG

RebG — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 00:12:30 +0000

Come to Wales – We have the Foundation Phase here – learning through play and direct experience for 3-7yr olds. and yes they do learn to read and write! Take a look!

By: headinbook

headinbook — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 12:46:50 +0000

Absolutely agree. I think that there is an issue about supporting children who come from homes where they aren’t supported to be “school-ready”. By that, though, I mean confident, interesting, engaged little people, ready to start to take on board education in a (slowly) more formal setting. Not actually *being* educated when, developmentally, they are still little more than babies.

This is all mixed up in a toxic brew of political spin, and as you so rightly say, based in no way on evidence from professionals on how children actually grow and learn best.

By: Nicola James

Nicola James — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:45:05 +0000

of course there is another way…. the Waldorf Education system… back by the inspirational ideas of Rudolph Steiner…. but of course the only way to access this most of the time is privately……and we are so programmed that its free so why should we pay for it that most of us dont even consider it….. I knew in my heart before I had even conceived my son that I never wanted to raise my child in the system…. to allow him to grow to be a whole rounded human being… not just a robot who passed some bits of paper that now allow him to get a job again in some system that just traps him…. I want him to be able to think for himself…. have his own ideas….and have the will to follow thru on them……….. the idea behind the Waldorf education system is not to raise a child by pumping him/her full of information ( that updates and changes by the time he/she leaves school anyway….) but to bring out everything thats already in that child… to nurture…. the allow the child to play … being the biggest tool a toddler and child has for learning………….. Here is a paragraph I have taken from the introduction to waldorf education…. “The focus of Steiner/Waldorf education is to educate the whole child, based on the insights into child development by the Austrian scientist and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). The emphasis is not only on the intellectual development of the child, but focuses equally on developing the child’s feeling life (artistic and emotional) and also its life of will (the ability to carry through ideas into a finished piece of work, incorporating all the steps in between). In this way we try to allow the child’s potential to unfold, allowing them to grow into a self-motivated, content adult.”
Most people wouldnt even consider the idea of sending their child to a private school cause of the money….. we have put everything else to the back seat to find a way and make it happen for our son to be allowed to be a child for as long as he can……………. and do you know what is also amazing… most waldorf schools understand that people cannot afford it….. and as a community which is what the school is seen as…. those who can pay more than the suggested donation do… so that those who cannot afford it… can pay less…….. and its amazing how when you believe in something so whole heartedly….. life finds a way…………. More and more alternative types of schooling are becoming available….. but the only way we can make a change to the way the government see our schooling is by saying something, doing something… and finding our own way out of it……… No two year old should be tested…. no 3 or 4 year old should be tested… when you look at the statistics coming out of schools now they are saying that starting earlier with children…(especially bosy because of how their brains develope…..) actually does more harm than good…… how can we raise children with a love of learning… if we make it so hard on them and no fun when they are soo so little……………

Suggested Reading – Steven Biddulphs… Raising boys & his other book… Raising girls…. definately some eye openers in there……..

Bless you and I hope that enough is done within the sysytem in time to allow our children to be children for as along as they can……………

By: sonyacisco

sonyacisco — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 08:15:26 +0000

My son is 2, and the words ‘over my dead body’ spring to mind! I think the fact he will start full time formal education just past his 4th birthday is bad enough! I understand that this is based on a minority of children experiencing early childhoods deprived of the sort of fun our kids are learning through, but think it is hypocritical to suggest ideas like this at a time when sure start centres etc are closing due to removal of funding. These centres were about supporting exactly the children they are referring too in this sort of statement. School isn’t compulsory at any age, and this is not something I would be involving my child in. Having said that it is right to look at ways to support the children who are being left behind, I just don’t think blanket policies are the answer.

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 08:04:43 +0000

Coming from a teacher with years of experience in primary schools, I would trust your judgement over this FAR more than Gove’s!

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 08:03:57 +0000

Finland! Definitely Finland!

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 08:02:23 +0000

It’s good to see Z isn’t stressed about his SATs – that’s definitely a positive. I think, generally, I’m against this idea of children being “empty vessels” to fill with knowledge before they even start school. The idea that a child of aged 4 should know xxx, for example, I just see as crazy. It reduced the ability to appreciate and distinguish different talents, loves and interests that different have and, in the worst case scenario, leads to worry and competition between parents. I also think it doesn’t take into account the fact that there is a huge difference between a child who starts school in Year R who is barely 4 years old (as F will be) and one is nearly 5. But that’s a whole other argument.