Nursery World - Is English approach too formal?

Denmark and Finland are more concerned about their children's personal and social development at the age of six than how literate and numerate they are, a comparative study by Ofsted has found. The report, The education of six-year-olds in England, Denmark and Finland, published last week, found these Scandinavian countries see children's social, physical and moral development as higher priorities than developing their reading, writing and mathematical skills. They also see the children's early years as a time for them to develop self-control, speaking, listening and being prepared for school.

The report, The education of six-year-olds in England, Denmark and Finland, published last week, found these Scandinavian countries see children's social, physical and moral development as higher priorities than developing their reading, writing and mathematical skills. They also see the children's early years as a time for them to develop self-control, speaking, listening and being prepared for school.

The Ofsted team, who carried out their research in March, noted that only in England were children in school at the age of six, as compulsory education does not begin in Denmark and Finland until children are seven.

In Finland, six-year-old children attend pre-school classes in kindergartens or pre-school classes attached to 'comprehensive schools' for children aged seven to 16. In Denmark, the children go to pre-school classes, with an average 21 children in 'folkeskoler' - schools for children aged six to 16.

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