Thread: Formal education: Do we start too early?

So the Cambridge Primary Review are proposing that we should start formal education for children at the age of 6. A study has been done and the findings are in this link.

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thre...20091016215659

The government's attitude to the findings "Ignore it and it might go away."
Personally I think we are starting our children too early and it has not been shown to be beneficial to the child in any way.

Parents cant be trusted to bring up their children.

That means that the sooner the state gets its claws into them, the better.

"Mummy, im reporting you for paying our cleaner cash. Inland Revenue and the Police will be round shortly to arrest you".

No, far too late IMO. Pre-school should start at 3 and last around 3 years.

Kids soak up learning like sponges at that age and their capacity drops significantly after age 5-6. Before then is the ideal time to start them on languages - after all, at that age they're already learning one.

The argument that we should start kids learning later seems to me to be predicated on the idea that the teaching methods currently in use for early learning are the 'best' we can get. Not true, IMO.

Early Learning Prevents Youth Violence

by Richard Tremblay, Jean Gervais, and Amelie Petitclerc
2008

Summary

Intervention at preschool age can have a greater impact on childhood aggression than at later ages and the most successful programs address a range of issues, including parents' skills and well-being, economic circumstances, and quality early learning experiences, according to a report issued by the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development. The report presents what is known about the causes and consequences of childhood aggression and offers remedies for parents, caregivers, educators, and society.

Read the full report

I am a fan of the Norwegian (or is it Swedish-been out of education too long) model. While their kids start at school at the age of three, they don't see the inside of a classroom until they are about 8. Small children, particularly boys have not yet developed the fine motor control needed to handle a pen and learn to write neatly. And funnily enough they get pissed off and surley about it...

Can't resist.

Can't resist.

I might have known you'd have replied to a thread started by RearWords.

Back on track.

Get them into school as soon as possible, as Carrots said, the kids learn more at that age.

Not that I have any myself, my hips would snap.

Girls and boys are so far apart in their abilities at the age of 5 and only start to come together when they are 7 or 8 years old which is why starting formal education at a later age makes so much sense. Too much pressure is put on children to conform and behave in the classroom at a young age and I believe play-based learning should be extended for an extra year at least. Certainly we could study the European model more and now that Wales and Northern Ireland are falling into line it could provide us with more information over the coming years on whether England and Scotland should follow suit.

Maybe after the election next year a new government will be more open-minded.

You should see how parents Fight to get there kids into school/pre school as soon as possible in the east.
Many a visiting or local teacher will you that kids out here maintain discipline in Class.
Any kid who gets out of line is told to shut up/be quite by the other kids.
The vast majority know No education No Good job and thats from nippers.
Compatition for Good schools in imense.
john
For years I have said on this and other boards it is Labour's policy to destroy the State Education System in UK.
Look where the Higher Ranks of Labour Nue or Old educate their offspring.

Do our children actually go to school these days?

I fear we may have missed the boat already :( .

1. Teaching Maths In 1970

A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price.
What is his profit?


2. Teaching Maths In 1980

A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price, or £800.
What is his profit?


3. Teaching Maths In 1990
A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is £800.
Did he make a profit?



4. Teaching Maths In 2000

A logger sells a lorry load of timber for £1000.
His cost of production is £800 and his profit is £200.
Your assignment: Underline the number 200.


5. Teaching Maths In 2008

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is totally selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of £200.

What do you think of this way of making a living?
Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers. If you are upset about the plight of the animals in question counselling will be available.)


6. Teaching Maths 2018

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I say get them into education early. Unfortunately, the parenting standard of some people is not up to scratch (and I know that's a whole other debate) and putting children into a 'positive' environment will aid their cognitive, communication, life and employability skills. Of course, that means that there must be quality teaching staff.....(another debate again)

To me the major problem is found in the male to female ratio in teaching, especially in early childhood/primary ed. For some reason men do not see this as a career. Here lies the conundrum. How to make early ed teaching a more attractive career to males? Given that in any school room 43% of kids come from a single parent family, and of that 43% half would be boys with no male role model/mentor...I'm sure you see the need for male teachers.

Govts won't and never have invested properly in education. They would rather spend the money on think tanks and reports. I suppose until this is tackled we will stay at square one.

Earlier the better: I went to school in Cape Town from age 4 and by the time I was 9 multi-base maths was easy, as were quadratic equations, French and the sciences.

When I moved to the Guernsey it took the local school 5 years to catch up.


The major problem with UK schools is this liberal büllshit of 'learn through play'. Utter shite. Kids can (and do) play outside of school. School should be disciplined and that way kids learn from an early age not to eff around at school and they will know what is required.

For non-academic kids (not just the thick ones) there need to be alternate streams where they can also learn skills and gain knowledge.

Easy to do when your main interest is not keeping shite teachers in employment (main aim of NUT and the Department for Education (or whatever the morons in power are calling it this week)).

I started school at four and a half and it didn't hurt me, I still have my old school reports and they don't seem to indicate I struggled in any way. When I went to enroll my daughter for Primary School I was told they would not consider taking her at four and a half, no reason given. Children need to get the basics down as soon as possible. My teenage daughter now seems more interested in 'uman rights and green issues than learning how a mortgage works, what APR means and how Interest works, schools also seem to favour these "trendy" new topics over the basics.

One study is not definitive though and children are individuals. Why not take the approach of getting them started early and then helping the weaker pupils along. The earlier we get children into the habit of learning the better, I fail to see how that can be a bad thing. I totally agree with the comments regarding the need for more male teachers though, there seems to be an aversion today to positive male role models and the current hysteria that every man who works with children is a Paedo suspect is no doubt putting men off.

We start too early, the number of hours the kids spend at school per week is too low and they have to many holidays per year.


Start at 6, an 11+ exam at 11 and they get streamed off into and academic and vocational streams at separate Grammar and Technical schools age 12.

Originally Posted by Oil_Slick

We start too early, the number of hours the kids spend at school per week is too low and they have to many holidays per year.


Start at 6, an 11+ exam at 11 and they get streamed off into and academic and vocational streams at separate Grammar and Technical schools age 12.

I agree start the kids at school with formal education at 6. But I have a problem with the 11+ exam I would make it later at say 13+, by then you will have caught the late developers who have the ability to benefit from a "Grammar" education.