I have been working with children for almost 40 years in various ways - running pre-schools, as a learning support assistant, running Brownie packs and youth clubs, school governor, specialist educational social worker, fostering social worker, family centre worker, as well as being a mother and grandmother. If it's taught me one thing it's that we need to let children show us what they need and want to know about.
New Zealand has always been at the forefront of early years education.The article reminded me of a pre-school I ran in Germany for British and American children in the early 1970s. A relative in New Zealand sent me one of their pre-school publications and we adopted all the lively and stimulating suggestions. We always had a large woodwork table that was fully equipped and constantly in use (we never had an accident), and children were free to play inside and out in all weathers, often in mud and puddles, snow and ice. At every session we had all the activities that we have in our pre-school today.
We had more than 40 children attending morning or afternoon sessions and parents were fully involved, although we had no committee, only a treasurer. With little paperwork or inspections we were much freer and had more time to take the lead from the children - and what a healthy, happy group of children they were!
Of course we need records, procedures, policies, assessments, inspections, quality assurance awards and qualifications - but not if it takes us away from the real purpose of our work, which surely has to be putting children and their interests, learning and development first.
* Salli Blackford, playleader, St Mawgan Pre-school, Cornwall
