Baroness Massey of Darwen, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children, told the House of Commons on 12 July that early years practitioners want to support young children's development and learning, rather than 'teaching', which implies instruction.
She said, 'I understand ministers want to ensure rigour in the approach to pre-school education. I cannot agree the word "taught" in the Bill is the right way to go about it, however.'
She said the Early Childhood Forum and member organisations have some 'serious concerns', and will be responding to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) consultation.
She asked for reassurance that the final EYFS document would contain a consistent definition of 'teaching', a more extensive section on child develop- ment and the role of free play, a more prominent focus on birth-to-three aspects, and a reference to the early support programme as guidance for working with young disabled children.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
