Curriculum
Interview - Sue Palmer, literacy specialist
Sue Palmer talks about Early Childhood Action, a new campaign group made up of academics and practitioners, who last week announced plans to draft an alternative to the EYFS.
- What are the key aims of Early Childhood Action?
First, to raise awareness among parents and the general public about how the EYFS can lead to a 'schoolified', one-size-fits-all approach to early childhood, and to provide a rallying point for the many practitioners and academics with serious doubts about the appropriateness of a statutory 'framework' for children's early development and learning. There's growing concern across the country about our 'too much too soon' approach, yet the Tickell review has glazed over the major issues. Indeed, in terms of the draft's literacy requirements, I fear the review has actually intensified the problems.
Second, to provide a credible working alternative to the EYFS, in the hope of influencing policy-makers in a more human direction, one that takes account of the realities and subtleties of child development.
- What approach should an alternative early years curriculum take?
A truly developmental approach. One that recognises young children's highly diverse developmental needs - physical, social, emotional and cognitive. It shouldn't be influenced by top-down targets from a not particularly successful school system, and it should genuinely put play at the heart of the learning process. Indeed, it shouldn't be a 'curriculum' at all, and should be much more flexible than the current highly prescriptive document. There are many areas, such as ICT, in which there is no research consensus - it's iniquitous to prescribe practice in such cases, and even worse to enshrine it in law.
Ideally (and this is my personal view) it should cover the years 0 to six or even seven. We really need a fundamental rethink of our approach to early education as a whole, but I suppose that, at present, ECA has to focus on doing what it can to combat schoolification up to the age of five.
- When will the Alternative Foundation Phase be published?
As soon as possible! Hopefully around the same time as the new EYFS.
By producing this alternative curriculum, what would you like to see happen? And what do you think realistically will happen?
See my second 'key aim', above. And there's already been such a groundswell of support for ECA that I think, if we can keep up the pressure, that it will influence policymakers.
I urge anyone who wants to register their support to go to www.early childhoodaction.com and pass it on!
