The government's recent consultation on the Revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has been branded a backward step by many commentators.
Following the review of the EYFS by Dame Clare Tickell, Chief Executive of Action for Children, the consultation seeks views on the Government's proposed changes to the EYFS. Included in those changes is the following suggestion:
For children whose home language is not English, providers must provide opportunities to develop and use the child’s home language in play and learning, supporting their language development at home. Providers must also ensure that children have sufficient opportunities to learn and reach a good standard in English language during the EYFS, ensuring children are ready to benefit from the opportunities available to them when they begin Key Stage 1. When assessing communication, language and literacy skills, practitioners must assess children’s skills in English. If a child is not reaching the expected level in English, practitioners should explore with parents the child’s skills in the home language to establish whether there is a language delay.
Critics argue that the revised EYFS places an undue emphasis on school readiness and displays little regard for the importance of the breadth of early years learning. NALDIC is particularly dismayed at the suggestion that although home languages can be used in learning and play, communication, language and literacy skills must be assessed only in English and any delays for bilingual children in reaching expected levels in English are around 'language delay'. It is suggested that providers contact parents and explore the child's first language skills only when some delay in English learning has occurred. Many of our outstanding settings will be talking to parents, mapping and planning for the development of all of a child's languages on entry, not when possible problems set in. The consultation focus on 'English only' and the lack of tangible support for communication across languages in the name of 'school readiness' is likely to be regarded by many as an unhelpful and retrograde step at a time when our early years settings become more multilingual by the day.
The consultation document notes
'The Government is keen to ensure that the EYFS helps ensure children's English language skills are sufficiently developed to allow them to take full advantage of Key Stage 1 and the opportunities that schools offer. It also recognises that bilingualism is an important asset conferring positive advantages for children's learning and development. The revised draft EYFS tries to strike a balance between supporting children's overall language development, and ensuring appropriate opportunities are provided for children to reach a good standard of English and be ready for school. It also seeks to ensure that the assessment requirements appropriately measure children's progress in English, taking due account of the needs of children who have not had the appropriate time or support to develop their English language skills' . It goes on to ask 'Does paragraph 1.7 of the revised draft EYFS get the balance right?
The response from NALDIC will be a firm no.
The consultation is open until 30 September.
