Nursery World - Society 'fails to value childhood'

British society's ambivalent attitude towards children is responsible for many of the problems it faces today, according to Professor Al Aynsley-Green, the Department of Health's national clinical director for children. Speaking in London last week at Early Intervention, Early Prevention, the first annual conference of the National Pyramid Trust for Children, Professor Aynsley-Green said, 'Many of the difficulties we find reflect society's failure to recognise the value of childhood.' He told delegates they should feel just as much outrage today as Victorian social reformers did about children forced to work in mills and mines, because the society we live in is just as 'turbulent' as the mid-19th century, although for very different reasons.

Speaking in London last week at Early Intervention, Early Prevention, the first annual conference of the National Pyramid Trust for Children, Professor Aynsley-Green said, 'Many of the difficulties we find reflect society's failure to recognise the value of childhood.' He told delegates they should feel just as much outrage today as Victorian social reformers did about children forced to work in mills and mines, because the society we live in is just as 'turbulent' as the mid-19th century, although for very different reasons.

Professor Aynsley-Green highlighted as areas of great concern the impact of child poverty in Britain, changes in the dynamics of the family and low birthrate statistics. He also cited press coverage of recent tragedies such as the Soham murders last summer and the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie as helping to bring the issue of child protection to the forefront of national debate.

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