Nursery World - Educators and parents unite

By Geraldine Everett, national chair of the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) Thinking skills are needed as much by those in government as by school children. The sooner we can have joined-up thinking that leads to properly resourced joined-up education the better.

Thinking skills are needed as much by those in government as by school children. The sooner we can have joined-up thinking that leads to properly resourced joined-up education the better.

So, in the 21st century, what is in the educational cauldron for infants about to embark on the exciting and challenging journey of lifelong learning?

Parenting is an intrinsic factor in children's development, for it is usually parents who have the greatest potential contact with the infant as their first educators. Arguably, they determine the core morality upon which children build, and wield the greatest influence.

I regret the assumption that schools have created our nation's ills and at the same time hold the key to their healing. The profession cannot and should not be held entirely responsible for the moral failure of society, and it should not be expected to repair all the damage from the breakdown of family relationships, crime and corruption.

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