A former head teacher has called for a Nordic-style statutory kindergarten stage, claiming that our youngest schoolchildren are ‘trapped’ by a damaging formality that began with the British Empire.
Sue Palmer, author of parenting book Toxic Childhood, is campaigning for three- to seven-year-olds to be educated ‘free from the pressure of the formal school system and educational target-setting’.
The Edinburgh-based writer, who is currently focusing her efforts on changing the Scottish system, claims 19th Century moves by the English parliament to send younger children to school have left a harmful legacy of an increasing ‘schoolification’ of the early years.
The author suggests this mindset has been bolstered by prejudice against child-centred learning and resulted in the erosion of crucial time at play.
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