News
Think tank warns of ‘nursery NEETs’
3 Mar 2010
The report, titled Ex Curricula, points out that data from the Millennium Cohort Study showed that 66,000 five-year-olds scored ‘borderline’ or ‘abnormal’ in tests designed to reveal behavioural and emotional problems, which are linked to under-achievement at school, truancy and exclusion and can lead to young people being ‘not in employment, education or training (NEETs).
The report said the difference between the poorest and the richest families was ‘stark’ – 18.4 per cent of these children are from the poorest fifth of families, compared with 4.4 per cent from the richest fifth.
The study points to poor literacy and numeracy, mental health problems, the home environment, poverty and schooling as contributing factors.
It proposes that a universal screening tool be introduced for all children to identify pointers in behavioural, cognitive, physical and linguistic development between six months and five years old, to ensure that those most at risk receive support from early years services.
The report’s co-author Sonia Sodha said, “Early years education is all about giving children access to what they don't have and creating a stimulating environment. Some parents are not as well educated and don't have the same advantages as others, which is why we need highly qualified staff, smaller-size classes and higher ratios.”
The full report can be found at Demos.
(Article taken from Nursery World magazine)
