Too Much Too Soon

TOO MUCH, TOO SOON CAMPAIGN

We’re too young to fail

www.toomuchtoosoon.org

 The new SCM Early Years Education (EYE) Group has now been established and is launching its first major campaign to challenge the early years being seen primarily as a preparation for school, rather than a unique stage in its own right, together with what it sees as a succession of developmentally inappropriate policy interventions in the English approach. We are arguing that this issue is too important to get wrong and that policy-making should be be put in the hands of people who really understand the extraordinary learning capacities and developmental abilities of young children.

In the long-term the group would like to see the formation of a multi-disciplinary National Council on the Science of Child Development, similar to that established in the USA by Harvard University https://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/council/about_the_council/. This body would aim to make the child’s best interests paramount and to bring an understanding of the science of early childhood and early brain development to political decision-making. We would also like to see the development of Child Wellbeing Impact Assessments for all new policies (in accordance with Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child).

The Campaign has just been launched with an Open letter that has been signed by 127 eminent academics, early years leaders and senior figures.
 
See the Open Letter
See the Press Release
See the Comment Piece

The Telegraph has now run a poll on what age its own readers think is best with the following results. You can still participate in through the article page here.

Three 4.24%  (277 votes) 
Four 7.15%  (467 votes) 
Five 20.91%  (1,366 votes) 
Six 38.57%  (2,520 votes) 
Seven 29.13%  (1,903 votes) 
 
Total Votes: 6,533

Sign the Petition
and please help share this with others

We are planning a sector-wide Day of Action for Wednesday 30th October and invite everyone to join us to show just how important we think these issues are. We will soon be providing resources such as posters and banners on the website but you can also make your own and promote your own related campaigns. We think it is only by coming together that we can really make a difference.

So whether you are a parent, childminder, playworker, early years teacher or headteacher, academic, lecturer, author or anyone else who really cares about the welbeing of children, please join us on the day. Let us know if you are coming though, especially if you are organising coaches, and we will share your details on the website.