Young children, we know, are all different, even when brought up in the same household
and community. Their personalities are different; their approaches to life are different;
their ways of learning and understanding are different; their physical, emotional, social
and intellectual development differ. So why do policy-makers seem to believe that they
can impose a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model on the early years?
That the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) enforced by the English government
on early years pedagogy and curriculum is top-down and economically driven is a key
factor in prompting the alternative model for children’s learning and development that is
Unhurried Pathways: A New Framework for Early Childhood. This document
encourages everyone to consider children in their own right as interested and interesting
young citizens who have so much to give, and yet much still to experience and
understand. It recognises that children are worthy of carefully considered early years
education and care practices and practitioners who understand the processes of children’s
learning and development. Moreover, children’s right to an early childhood that
encompasses the importance of spontaneous play, in all its many manifestations and
diversities,1
is emphasised in this new document in powerful and persuasive ways.