I would be interested......

[Heaven Scent]

in your opinions on the video and text in the following link

http://www.teachers.tv/video/12090

Should make for a good discussion.

[FussyElmo]

Not had time to watch all the video but it looks great. So much more relaxed than here and it seems results speak for themselves

[margimum]

I wholeheartedly agree with that system!!
Most children are not PHYSICALLY capable of formal learning at the ridiculous age we try to force them into it!
Little wonder many(especially boys) are completely switched off from learning before they've had a chance to begin.
Young children are like sponges and absorb ideas and concepts from the world around them.... yet we insist on locking them into a regime of 'sit down and be quiet' for 6 hours a day.

[sarah707]

I've seen it before and think it is excellent!

It is a real eye-opener into what can happen if we allow children freedom to be children.

[Playmate]

Totally agree with their system and always have. I have Danish cousins (system in Denmark more or less the same). Our pushy education system just gets worse and worse.

[Polly2]

I was very interested to watch this as I cared for a swedish child for a while. I think their system is fab and would move there in a second.

But aren't montessori nurserys similar? I don't know much about them?? They seem to have some similarities except of course our children go to school earlier and have to leave the nursery.

Also I think that we as cm's are a lot closer to the swedish system than nurserys in this country. My daughter is doing placement in a nursery (that she is not liking!) she says that they do things so differently to me and what she is used to. Bit of an eye opener really for me.

Of course some nurserys are bound to be better.

[singlewiththree]

I think its a dream, I can't see us ever getting to that. Its an ideal world

[nannymcflea]

I think it's great for a lot of kids but personal experience with my youngest, who hated pre-school and reception and loves sitting down to work, would have been so bored and we would have had tears for a lot longer. For the majority I think it's fab.

[balloon]

Fantastic to see this in operation! I've heard a lot about it as many home educators follow similar methods with similar results but never actually seen it in Sweden.

Personally I think children attend school far too early in this country and the thought of the government making them start at four makes me wonder what on earth they are doing, but nanny knows best...

I would love to learn more about this.

[Blackhorse]

I love their system
I am used to their style of education as austria has copied loads of systems from sweden!!

I LOVE IT

[Hebs]

Urgh, they need to be reported for feeding them that stuff, was almost sick

[Heaven Scent]

Personally, I may not fancy the thought of raw mince wrapped in cabbabge leaves and baked in the oven but I do like mince & cabbage so i'd imagine if they had some nice herbs and seasoning added then they may be OK!! I'm sure that the Swedes would have issues with a lot of traditional english food such as corned beef hash all that fat in the corned beef - YUK!! or an Irish dish such as Coddle (a boiled sausage and bacon stewe with veg and pots - I'm sure its very tasty but its the thoughts of boiled sausages and rashers Yuk - I'm Irish and have never had it!!)

Only thing that bothered me was that they were extreme about the no treat rule - I'm quite sure that treats on birthdays etc and chips once per week/fortnight or (especially if cooked in sunflower or olive oil) wouldn't do any harm to the kiddies. It is possible to make healthy low fat oven cooked chips.

I was with them on everything else - in Ireland parents can choose when to send their children to schoo between the ages of 4-6 years - that way the parents have some input to their childrens lives - also if you feel that your child is not coping you can choose to keep them back a year - all of my brothers children did this and coped really well - I personally would not have sent them so young but it suits working parents because they save on childcare.

[wendywu]

The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say. Our children lag far behind other countries in Europe, but start school the youngest.

[Hebs]

The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say. Our children lag far behind other countries in Europe, but start school the youngest.

BINGO but the government cant see that can they

[Blackhorse]

well each country has their own foods.....

about the treats...I guess it isnt necessary to have them in preschool when they probably get them at home anyways....

I know you can make healthy chips but they arent as big a part of other countries diet as they are here..

or crisps...back home we would have them only a couple of times a year as party snack....

but I think overall the education system they have is great!!

[The Juggler]

me too. I read an article called 'Fishing Naked' years ago. Google it, its fab. About an American teacher was gob-smacked by what they allowed children to do and how capable the children were of using the equpment given - it's all what's behind our EYFS now except the Government mess it all up by keeping the ELG's

If they got rid of them it would be soo much better.

[Hebs]

i had a BIG chuckle at the "we dont have inspections as the goverment trust us to do our job"



never thought about it in that way before

[Bananabrain]

Looked fab, I want to go there!
Seriously, this country is pants in sooo many areas. I have had a couple of junior mindees that are 9 or 10 and can barely read. I think that's terribly sad.
Teacher's TV is great. I watch it quite alot {sad but true}

[Hebs]

i definatly agree with the kids not starting formal education til much older

i think by the time our kids have developed enough to do well with learning they've had it rammed down their neck and lost interest

[mamasheshe]

what more could you want for your children how lovely