Thread by @suzannezeedyk

For anyone not followng this story, there's a big headline in today's @ScotNational abt t hopeful political moves to alter Scottish childrn's experience of schooling so that it better aligns w/ developng human biology. Here's a THREAD w/ addtnl info. @UpstartScot @ToniGiugliano

2. In #PlayIsTheWay, my chapter recalled Scottish history. "When t Educ (Scotland) Act of 1872 made educ compulsory for children, it adopted t practice of existing church-led schools, where entry age was 5." Today's article makes t same point: We're stuck in Victorian times.

3. We've learned so much abt child dvlpmnt since t Victorian age. We've changed so much. We don't allow childrn to be hit any longer. We believe they shd hv shoes. We hv seat belt laws.We know stress changes core biology. What do we need to know to help in making ths educ change?

4. Here are my top proposals for what we need to understand.
First, our current early educ system does not fit childrn's BIOLOGICAL developmnt. We ask thm to focus, to sit, to negotiate, to manage big emotions, to hold pencils. Human brains &bodies aren't suited to that at 4yrs.

5. I think this idea comes as a shock to many ppl. "What do you mean our ordinary schooling system isn't good for childrn? But we've been doing it ths way for a long time..." True. We hv been. That doesn't mean it was brilliant then either. It was just t best that cd be managed.

6. Second, creating policy/practice that is mismatched w/ children's biological developmental needs is a waste of money. It is dumb economic policy. T @heckmanequation has worked out the numbers. Meeting needs in the early years = fewer problems later & thus less ££ later.

7. NOW is t time to think abt this. I hear reports everywhere of t dramatic impact COVID has had on young children's development. Lang skills impaired. Stress management reduced. ADHD on the rise. Those BIOLOGICAL shifts mean longterm ££ costs for gov.

8. T piece by @UpstartScot & @ToniGiugliano makes ths link, but I wonder if most ppl hv had a chance to think about how serious this Covid-related rise in special needs is? That doesn't melt away whn childrn get older. Their BIOLOGY is reshaped. This is the whole next generation.

9. So if politicians aren't doing everything they can, right now, to create systems that fit w/ children's biological development, they WASTE THE MONEY of all taxpayers. So let's start talking alot more about the intersection of human biology & economics. That's Heckman's curve.

10. Where can politicians find out more abt Heckman's curve? In Chap14 of #PlayIsTheWay. Alan Sinclair, a Dir for Scottish Enterprise, wrote it. And then, in 2021? Every single MSP in @ScotParl ws given a copy of t book. WRITE TO YOURS and ask if they've read t chap on economics.

11. Thirdly & finally: We need to recognise that t proposal to change starting age is not just educ change. Instead, it is cultural change. We see this as a major life stage. Our culture marks it w/ rituals like leaving ceremonies &uniforms. Feelings run deep. @LullabyLaneMiln

12. So amidst all t techncal stuff there is to be discussd, like SNSA testng & povrty-related attainmnt gap & what time parents wd pick up & drop off childrn, I think it wd be wise to spend time talkng abt t symbolic meaning that 'starting big school' holds for Scottish adults.

13. I feel hopeful. I know we face big challenges, but in recent years, we in Scotland hv made strides in how we see children & in how we treat them. We talk abt children's rights. There is more understanding of trauma & an emphasis on nurture. The science can help us be bold.

14/end. And why do I feel hopeful right this particular moment? Answer: Because @ScotNational publishd a piece on EDUCATION where t photo is of children PLAYING in the mud, not sitting in a classroom. (Thanks @muckybootsed.) That's unusual for t media. It's bold. It's progress.👏🏻

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