(UK) Scottish education expert calls for extended kindergarten (ages 3-7) to combat anxiety

Aug 5, 2018, Falkirk Herald: Kids should start school at six years old, says charity https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/kids-should-start-school-at-six-years-old-says-charity-1-4779032 A leading international educationalist is calling on the Scottish Government to raise the age children start primary school “as a matter of urgency” to help prevent a surge in mental health problems. Sue Palmer, chairwoman of Upstart Scotland, the children’s educational campaigning charity, wants a “kindergarten” stage from ages three to seven. The final kindergarten year would be completed in Primary 1 – involving establishing a new starting age of six for pupils. Nordic-style kindergarten puts emphasis on lots of play, especially outdoors…. Ms Palmer, a former primary head teacher, whose charity launched the “Play Not Tests at P1” campaign in April, made her plea as it emerged last week that teachers and parents were reporting many Primary 1 pupils were suffering stress and severe anxiety resulting from Scottish National Standardised Assessment (SNSA) tests implemented by the Scottish Government to gather data. … [In kindergarten] “They learn self-regulating skills, how to focus and control their behaviour.”… A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “Scottish primary schools have seen a significant shift in recent years towards a play-based approach to learning….