Wellbeing and Education: A Landscape in Transformation

   In recent years, there has been a new phenomenon in preschool (EY) that seems to go against what we know is developmentally appropriate for young children and the research on how children learn before 8 years old.  We are seeing 3 and 4-year-olds learn sight words as young as three and start writing when the small tendons and muscles in their hands are not ready for such a task.  This is alarming.  Especially since there seems to be less time spent on attending to the rest of their development.  Children need time to free play outside in all elements, rain, mud, sunshine, and snow.  They need to feel the limits of their bodies, crawl, jump, run, climb.  They need to have a chance to take risks, make decisions for themselves, have choices, and learn to express their feelings in appropriate ways.  For some reason, we are now seeing an increase in children who need very little help from teachers to reach age-appropriate language and math skills (reading, writing, numbers, even sometimes attempting additions) but need a lot of help to learn things that were traditionally happening outside of school: playing with other children, forming relationships, independence, waiting, dealing with frustration and boredom, playing outdoors, conversation skills, and more.  

    Our modern lifestyle has changed the work of teachers and as a preschool teacher, I feel my job is less and less about teaching in the traditional sense, and more and more about making sure young children get enough time to play, learn how to wait, how to talk with others, have opportunities to express their emotions in appropriate ways, and develop physically. 

It is no one's fault....

    This is not a judgment about parents, because we are all doing the best we can in the current circumstances.  Society has put an extreme amount of pressure on parents to have their children "ready" for school and they are doing the best they can to be "good parents".   Governments have been investing most of their educational budget to make sure kids learn how to read, write, and count.  So of course, it is normal to think that the earlier a child reads and writes the better their chances to become a successful member of society. We've been told that if your child is good at school, they'll be successful later on.  We have also been told that we need to keep our children busy and stimulated intellectually, which means their lives (and parents' lives) have become busy, very busy.

PAUSE

Is that true? 

I wonder...

    If we judge a child's worthiness as a future citizen on their ability to read, write, and count, are we really providing them with what they need to thrive in the future?  In 2035 or 2040, will children still need to handwrite or will they simply need to speak into a microphone?  Will they need to learn a second or third language or simply carry a translating device?  Should we still be using the children's time at school to teach them skills that may be obsolete in the coming years or should we focus on teaching them skills they will need to navigate those new communication tools with a strong moral compass?  Can we empower children to thrive in their own unique ways instead of focusing on what big companies say they need to function and sustain the current economic system?  How can today's children grow to feel worthy about who they are as individuals rather than trying to fit into a system?

Who is this the current way of doing things and teaching children serving?

As we start aligning more deeply with notions of inclusion and diversity as a strength (not something to put up with), it's becoming more difficult to believe that the current educational system is a good place for all children.  It helps some thrive and others sink into unworthiness.  We see more and more valedictorians, A-students, and children who thrived in school unable to function once they come out of the school system because they are stifled by anxiety and pressure to perform at the highest levels in everything they do.  Young adults are speaking openly about their struggles with mental health, and we should listen.  

Fortunately, the conversation has started.

Luckily, some are waking up and trying to find new ways.

If you want to learn more about some of the perspectives currently discussing the future of education, here are a few links for you to explore.  If you feel the same way and have found other sources of inspiration, please share by commenting below.

Yong Zhao: Kids Need These Five Skills to Face an Uncertain Future

Peter Moss: Loris Malaguzzi and the Schools of Reggio Emilia: Telling an alternative narrative about early childhood education

The Studio for Playful Inquiry (Matt Karlsen and Susan Harris MayKay) / Podcast

OECD: Future of Education and Skills 2030 / Well-being and the education of the whole child

Bo Stjerne Thomsen / How AI can accelerate students' holistic development and make teaching more fulfilling.

Happy wondering!

Anne Boudreau