FOCUS FEATURE


EDUCATION


“They grow up so fast” is a well-worn phrase used by any parent that has experienced their child or children growing up at what feels like the speed of light. Indeed the various milestones that make up those early years – from crawling, walking, talking, to starting school – can go in the blink of an eye. But this raises a serious question. At what point does the


natural process of growing up and learning about the world through family, friends, environment and teachers become insufficient on its own? At what point does children’s progress need to become scrutinised and when is it important to start academically assessing them? It’s worth remembering that at the age of four they enter a curriculum-led academic world that they will remain in for at least the next 12 years, with an ever-increasing emphasis on targets, assignments and exams.. There are plenty of arguments and counter arguments.


It’s true that the time spent relatively carefree as a child is limited in relation to how long is spent in adulthood. Shouldn’t children be allowed to just live when they’re young; free from the burden and pressures of homework, assessments and expectation? Yet with early development so crucial and with a child’s


brain so receptive to new ideas and learnings – it is argued, for example, that teaching a child a second language is an easier task than teaching an adult – would a less formal approach to early years education signal a huge missed opportunity to benchmark a child’s progress in order to gauge what is best for him or her as their time at school goes on? To clarify what we mean by a child’s early years, Ofsted -


the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills – says: “Children’s early years, otherwise known as the foundation years, are the time between birth and 31 August following their fifth birthday… while children are not required to attend primary school until the term following their fifth birthday, most start in the September of the academic year in which they turn five.” While there will naturally be objectors, there seems to be


a common consensus that four is a reasonable age for children to start school. It’s also clear that a good school environment and talented and creative primary school teachers can remove the mundaneness and potential stress of a young child’s first foray into education – in fact four- year-olds can be, and perhaps should be, blissfully unaware


that they are following a curriculum structure or even – at this stage – taking part in structured learning at all. Therefore – and while it is important to point out not all


children have access to the high-quality environment highlighted above - the purpose of this piece isn’t to argue the merits for or against the current age at which children enter mainstream education. Rather, it aims to look at how those early academic years are utilised and whether the curriculum and methods adequately set children up for further education, the world of work, or both. First and foremost, it’s worth looking at how important


primary education is for a child’s development; irrespective of the curriculum and methods used. Understanding Childhood - an independent not-for-profit


enterprise which disseminates information on child emotional development and behaviour – argues that: “Apart from home, school is the single most important place in the lives of most children. Their experience of school will play a vital part in their lives and will determine their academic, social and, probably, their occupational future. The reception year is crucial.” The organisation also suggests that: “Research shows


there is a continuous link between the progress that children make in their first year in school.”


Child’s play?


Much is made of the skills gap and whether those leaving education are equipped with the necessary attributes that the country’s recruiters are looking for. In the first of a two-part feature on Education, Business Network Editor Nathan Fearn looks at the start of this academic journey and asks whether we’re getting it right with our children.


34 business network July/August 2017


At what age should children begin to be academically assessed?


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