😍Play + child development go to Parliament

*|Dear FNAME|*

Upstart is delighted to announce that in the coming months we shall be working with Kaukab Stewart MSP to facilitate discussion amongst a wide variety of stakeholders around early years, including in the Scottish Parliament. The aim is to advance and widen the understanding of a kindergarten stage with a view to ensuring provision of a kindergarten stage as part of Scotland’s education system.

Kaukab was a primary teacher for nearly thirty years, whilst also pursuing her interest in politics which led to her election as MSP for Glasgow Kelvin Constituency in 2021.

She has since served as Vice-Convener of the Parliamentary Education, Children and Young Peoples Committee and is now Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. After a proposal for a kindergarten stage was passed overwhelmingly at last year’s SNP annual conference, she wrote: “Experiential learning with joy and discovery at its heart should be our goal for the early years. In order to transition from where we are now, there remains a lot of work to be done.”

We very much look forward to working with Kaukab to facilitate this transition.

Welcome to Scotland's New Commissioner for Children and Young People ... and a new book for early years

Nicola Kilean began her career as a nursery teacher and has most recently been CEO of Sistema Scotland, leading Scotland's Big Noise community projects.These use musical activities and performance, beginning in nursery and P1/2, to develop children's self-confidence, resilience, teamwork and aspiration. We're thrilled that someone with early years experience has taken on the role of Commissioner.

Also new at the Commissioner's office is 'Let's Explore Our Rights', a new book about children's rights for the under-fives - a copy will be sent to all nurseries by the end of this school term. But we don't really understand why it's aimed at under-fives when the UN definition of early childhood is birth to eight.

UPSTART AGM

Since Upstart's launch in 2016, we've always held the AGM in June and, since the pandemic struck in 2020 we've held it online. This year we're hoping to return to a real-life gathering. But, being all too aware of how exhausted everyone is, we've decided to switch the gathering to the autumn term, after a much-needed summer break. Also, by Autumn plans for parliamentary activities with Kaukab should be well under way.

Current plans are to hold the AGM during an autumn weekend in Edinburgh. We'll let you know details via social media and the newsletter as soon as they're finalised and hope you'll be able to attend. These are exciting times and we'd like as many Upstart supporters as possible to be involved.

OOPS-A-DAISY: play-based, place-based planning

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t remember making mixtures as a child? Upstart's latest blog tells how chidren's play in the Stramash Outdoor Nurseries links age-old knowledge with education for sustainability.

COVID CONTINUES TO AFFECT EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Learn about Public Health Scotland’s latest findings on the impact of COVID-19 on early years children (the latest CEYRIS report).at a free webinar on 8th June 2023. Tickets on Eventbrite.

Quote of the month

We've often wondered why it's so difficult to interest educational policy-makers in the science behind early childhood care and education but this quote from the eminent psychologist Erik H Erikson might point to an explanation: (Since he died in 1994, please forgive his use of 'man' when referring to human beings.)

Shucks! Ah well, between 6th and 9th June, Glasgow will be awash with play specialists for the International Play Association's World Conference - maybe some of their wisdom and enthusiasm will help alert Scotland's policymakers to the extreme significance of play for children's long-term learning and wellbeing, especially during the first seven years.

If you're not going to be at IPA (and even if you are),the wisdom and enthusiasm of the wonderful play specialist Peter Gray is now available via his new blog - you don't need to subscribe and it's really worth a read.

Onwards and upwards!
The Upstart team