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The Scottish Government is learning how other countries give their children the best start as Ministers shape their new framework for early years, to be launched later this year. Children's Minister, Adam Ingram, who has just returned from a fact-finding trip to Norway with representatives from Children in Scotland, said there was much Scotland could learn from the Nordic nation in relation to its child-centred approach. Nursery classrooms deep in the forest where children learn about the great outdoors and integrated 'upbringing plans' to support young people's development were just some of the different approaches examined during the visit to the country's Norland area. Mr Ingram said: "The early years are a period of rapid development and can have a major influence on the rest of a child's life. They provide the best opportunity to improve life chances and reduce the need for later interventions that are more costly in both financial and social terms. "It was interesting to see how another society approaches the nurturing of its young children and the impact of that in later life. Indeed, there is a lot we can learn from Norway - a country with a similar population size to Scotland - about the success of its child-centred approach and its emphasis on investment in young people. "Examining the approaches taken by other countries will help us develop our joint Early Years Framework with COSLA and help individuals, families and communities secure the best outcomes for future generations." Among the initiatives examined during the visit was Filipstua nature kindergarten where children spend most of the school day outside learning about everything from building nest-boxes to gathering edible berries and the 'upbringing plans' local authorities have in place to co-ordinate all services affecting a young person's life, including health, education and leisure. Mr Ingram also visited schools and teacher and youthwork training programmes, as well as learning how Norway supports parents and families. Meanwhile, as the Scottish Government develops its new approach to early years, he has re-iterated his call for the UK Government to do more to help parents meet the costs of childcare. He said: "It is frustrating that the Scottish Government has its hands tied around these issues. As we develop our new approach to early intervention, I urge the UK Government to ensure that improvements are made to the benefits and tax credits system to give parents more help with the costs of childcare." http://www.scotland.gov.uk |
