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Early Years Outdoors Revolution. by Lesley Riddoch. Killing with Kindness. Scotland traditionally keeps children indoors to insulate them from all risk – ironically making them more susceptible to danger by exposing them to nothing.
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Early Years Outdoors Revolution by Lesley Riddoch
Killing with Kindness • Scotland traditionally keeps children indoors to insulate them from all risk – ironically making them more susceptible to danger by exposing them to nothing. • We spend too little on 0-3 – and too much trying to “retrofit” skills onto the casualties of poor childhood learning experiences. • We are part of just 12% of countries sending kids to school at 4-5 years old. • We must shift funding, practice & school starting age to get it right first time round for every child • Why not make Primaries 1 &2 kindergarten? • The Nordic countries show the way…….
These pictures come from Bodo kindergartens in Arctic Norway. Can you imagine Scots kids doing this….
Investment in early years makes economic sense • Figure 2: Rates of return to human capital investment 2000 Nobel Laureate Economics, James Heckman
Figure 4: Skills lacking among employees with skill gaps Source: Future Skills Scotland, Employer Survey 2004
Which age group learns these crucial “soft skills” – yet gets least education cash in Scotland ? Yip. 0-3 Source: Alakeson V, Too Much, Too Late: Life chances and spending on education and training, Social Market Foundation 2005