There’s a huge difference between the way children are taught in Britain and the way they are taught in the rest of Europe: the age at which formal education begins.
In most European countries, children usually start formal education at six to seven, rather than our four to five. Finland has the best educational outcomes in the EU: it not only boasts a high level of income equality but also has the highest age for beginning formal education – which is seven, a full three years later than many children in the UK.
There are many reasons why it’s not necessarily a good idea to get children learning in an academic way at too early an age. People tend to think that this only puts pressure on the less bright kids. Actually, it’s not good for the majority of children – academically or psychologically. But, interestingly, it can be the brightest children who do least well when their natural curiosity about the world, and eagerness to learn about it, is stifled if they start formal school too early.
People think that clever kids will always be spotted and always thrive. It’s a wrong assumption.
The charity Potential Plus UK argues that such children often under-achieve for a variety of reasons, including: an inability to manage time; disorganisation and frequently losing things; problems with friendships; bullying; being disruptive in class; difficulty concentrating; overall poor presentation of work – resulting in resisting work that is more challenging because of the fear of failure.
It seems like a ghastly vision, the idea that children are being forced into formal schooling too early, then being diagnosed with learning difficulties when they react badly to the straitjacket that has been laced around them at too tender an age. This must be particularly awful for children whose intellect isn’t stimulated enough at home. Imagine. You find yourself in an environment where there are books and toys, other children to play with, adults who engage with you, then just as the possibilities of the world are blossoming like fireworks in your head, you’re told to sit down, be quiet, and concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else.
Some children thrive on it. Many do not. In the UK, there seems to be little understanding of the fact that under-achievement at school can simply be because our highly standardised education system is inappropriate, not because there is necessarily a learning difficulty.
Start the wrong child learning formally at five, and by seven, he – and boys do have a bigger problem here – could well have had enough of education to last him a lifetime.
There’s a huge difference between the way children are taught in Britain and the way they are taught in the rest of Europe: the age at which formal education begins.In most European countries, children usually start formal education at six to seven, rather than our four to five. Finland has the best educational outcomes in the EU: it not only boasts a high level of income equality but also has the highest age for beginning formal education – which is seven, a full three years later than many children in the UK.There are many reasons why it’s not necessarily a good idea to get children learning in an academic way at too early an age. People tend to think that this only puts pressure on the less bright kids. Actually, it’s not good for the majority of children – academically or psychologically. But, interestingly, it can be the brightest children who do least well when their natural curiosity about the world, and eagerness to learn about it, is stifled if they start formal school too early.People think that clever kids will always be spotted and always thrive. It’s a wrong assumption.The charity Potential Plus UK argues that such children often under-achieve for a variety of reasons, including: an inability to manage time; disorganisation and frequently losing things; problems with friendships; bullying; being disruptive in class; difficulty concentrating; overall poor presentation of work – resulting in resisting work that is more challenging because of the fear of failure.It seems like a ghastly vision, the idea that children are being forced into formal schooling too early, then being diagnosed with learning difficulties when they react badly to the straitjacket that has been laced around them at too tender an age. This must be particularly awful for children whose intellect isn’t stimulated enough at home. Imagine. You find yourself in an environment where there are books and toys, other children to play with, adults who engage with you, then just as the possibilities of the world are blossoming like fireworks in your head, you’re told to sit down, be quiet, and concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else.Some children thrive on it. Many do not. In the UK, there seems to be little understanding of the fact that under-achievement at school can simply be because our highly standardised education system is inappropriate, not because there is necessarily a learning difficulty.Start the wrong child learning formally at five, and by seven, he – and boys do have a bigger problem here – could well have had enough of education to last him a lifetime.
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