The Government's consultation on extending England's national curriculum to include the Foundation Stage has prompted early years experts to launch a vigorous defence of the Foundation Stage and pre-empt any attempts to re-introduce formalised teaching into the early years.
The consultation is needed because, explains a Department for Skills and Education (DfES) spokesperson, 'the secretary of state is required to consult the profession upon her proposals for specification of the early learning goals which must be taught in the Foundation Stage.' The Foundation Stage became part of the National Curriculum on 1 October under the Education Act 2002.
The Act, like many other Acts, enables the secretary of state to specify the requirements by reference to a published document rather than setting out in detail all the early learning goals in the statutory regulations. It has been proposed, in the consultation, that this should be the existing Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage.
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