Yes it's true. I have well and truly caught the bug. It's been in the air for quite a while now and I've felt it coming on slowly...but now it's well and truly taken hold! I'm highly contagious so watch out.
No...I am not talking about the awful Norovirus that leaves a cruise ship full of passengers seeing more of a toilet pan than the spectacular view they paid for from their cabin porthole....
This bug is dramatically on the increase and can be found in many schools and settings around the world..and increasingly in many homes too. Parents, grandparents, practitioners and anyone who cares about childhood is well and truly infected...the symptoms? These include overwhelming feelings of passion, commitment and drive to fight for what every single child deserves in their lives. Another symptom is equally overwhelming feelings of sadness, anger, despair, disbelief and shock in response to the farcical state of our education system and in particular, testing, children's poor mental health, forced academisation and the narrower-than-ever totally inappropriate "world leading" national curriculum.
How do I know I am well and truly infected? Well on Saturday the bug took me to a new level. This teacher, who once shook like a leaf at the prospect of talking to 10 parents at a math workshop, made the decision to ring into LBC, national radio, as a headteacher talked about the stress children are now facing...I literally couldnt stop my fingers dialling. The presenter Tom Swarbrick was a true gentleman, reassured me as a first time caller, listened to my concerns and then said the fatal words.... "Great call, please call in again..."
Oh dear. Twenty four hours later and LBC again, a call in on Stig Abell's show who was supportive of testing as a parent of a 4 and 7 year old was joined on the show by journalist Toby Young. Mr Young co founded a flagship free school which has now expanded to three other schools and a sixth form, and who recently stepped down from his CEO role.http://schoolsweek.co.uk/toby-young-free-school-chief-executive/
I rang in again as I couldn't believe some of what I am hearing. I won't talk you through the whole conversation. Listen hear to me on LBC with Toby Young. As I talked to Tory Toby (as he is sometimes called) who was pleasant and polite despite having very differing opinions to me...it dawned on me more than ever. There are people out there, giving interviews, writing articles, speaking out loud as those who know, who, without meaning to sound rude, quite simply do not understand teaching OR CHILDREN, but are giving the impressions to the masses that they do...and that they know best...and when in a position of power or status, PEOPLE DO LISTEN!
When I talked about #ExtendEYFSto7, my campaign to do do just this, he replied that children in the EYFS (which he stated was reception and YEAR ONE) spend 50% of their time playing. We know that this is simply not true. THE EYFS (AND ITS PLAY BASED, HOLISTIC APPROACH ENDS FOR MOST CHILDREN AT THE END OF RECEPTION...and for far too many before in the race to be KS1 ready. And if EYFS are playing 50% of the time (many sadly do not) what are they doing the other 50% of the time?
Oh dear oh dear oh dear..we have so far to go....luckily my infection is terminal! My medication is the thousands who stand with me, shoulder to shoulder, to fight for what is right and what is necessary!
Please get behind #ExtendEYFSto7, by signing and share both petitions. Share the bug!
Sign the Government petition here #ExtendEYFSto7
Sign the Change.org petition here #ExtendEYFSto7
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