OECD in 'schoolification' warning

The report, published alongside the wide-ranging ‘Starting Strong 2017’ study, aims to provide a state-of-the art summary of the latest research and thinking on transitions policies and practices in 30 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries and partner countries.

It says, ‘To make children “ready”, the approach often taken involves exposing children who are still in ECEC [early childhood education and care] to the culture of primary school. Known as “schoolification”, this can drive ECEC settings to adopt practices that are usually more related to primary school, such as higher staff-pupil ratios, longer hours away from home, more teacher-directed pedagogies, greater attention to academic content and less playtime.’

It points out that research is increasingly highlighting that the more age- and child-appropriate the pedagogical practices, the greater the benefits for children’s social and cognitive development.

‘This is why some countries – especially the Nordic countries – take a child-centred perspective, adapting the cultures of both ECEC and school to the needs of the child. This implies that it is not just the responsibility of ECEC to prepare children for school; schools also need to be ready for children,’ it says.

At the launch of the report in London last week, Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the OECD, said, ‘We need to do more on making schools ready for children, not children ready for school’, and also look at ‘what serves children best at what age. Probably the first years of primary should look more like ECEC.’

The report includes case studies from around the world and suggests that in recent years, countries have introduced a wide range of strategies, policies and practices to ensure continuity in transitions, and categorises these into four interdependent areas: organisation and governance; professional continuity; pedagogical continuity; and developmental continuity.

‘The transition from early childhood education to primary school is a big step for all children,’ it states. ‘A supportive and stress-free experience at this stage is likely to influence whether or not they can develop to their full potential at school, academically and socially.

‘Investments in high-quality ECEC and smooth transitions between the various stages of early education are key for children’s long-term learning and development. Quality transitions that are well-prepared and child-centred, managed by trained staff collaborating with one another, and guided by an appropriate and aligned curriculum, enhance the likelihood that the positive impacts of early learning and care will last through primary school and beyond.’

Challenges
Challenges for children in transitions include different types of activities, the ways in which adults engage, children’s physical surroundings, number of peers, rules and routines.
There are particular challenges for disadvantaged children, as they are exposed to the interaction of multiple risk factors, including a low-quality home learning environment, low teacher expectations, and poor parent-teacher interactions.

Countries have also broadened their curriculum frameworks in pre-primary education, which was very different from 15 years ago, when very few countries had not thought about what children should learn at what age, Mr Schleicher said. These frameworks now include health and well-being, free playtime, technology and several languages.

Mr Schleicher said, ‘Some people say actually the schoolification of early childhood education here is not helping children, some researchers support it, some say early literacy and numeracy provides very important foundations. What’s the right balance between play, social and emotional development, cognitive abilities? This is [where] I think we still have many unanswered questions.’

He added that the OECD was currently embarking on a study that will measure cognitive, social and emotional development, and ‘in three years’ time we’ll have the answers’.

The findings show the very different traditions across countries; for example, in Finland and Norway, ECEC is more geared towards social and emotional development, but overall, pre-primary curriculums include a wide range of areas.