Campaigners argue that the literacy goals in the EYFS are set too high for children as young as four and should be scrapped.
Philip Pullman and former children's laureate Michael Morpurgo were among the signatories to a letter in yesterday's Times newspaper calling for the statutory framework to be changed to voluntary guidance.
More than 80 campaigners, including early years experts, academics and child psychologists, signed the letter.
It criticised children's minister Beverley Hughes for the 'concession' she made earlier this month to review two of the literacy early learning goals, because she 'ignored calls to suspend literacy goals, which are widely deplored as being far too advanced for many young children'.
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