The early years alternative fills the needs of the individual child, it allows independence, individuality and a hands-on learning approach to be at the forefront of the learning. Students are given the chance to use different materials and environments to learn in that promote self-confidence and make the learning more exciting. By the child leading the learning process it pushes them to be creative and inventive with their learning. This pushing not only the child’s knowledge, but also the adult’s as they may see new experiences and learn from their child the joy in a new task. This pushing the learning forward and making it a more collaborative process.
Can the alternatives replace the public-school system?
Whilst the alternative education can provide a child with the chance to thrive in a new and different learning environment to that of the public system, it may not be able to fully replace the public system. This alternative may not be able to support those children with additional needs and learning difficulties as they will need support in their learning, this inhibiting them from fully leading and being the instigator in their learning process. This resulting in those who need added support not fully being able to experience the Montessori and forest school approach to learning.
This alternative education will also require a lot of finances and government support, as providing children with the chance to experience the outdoors and have the freedom to choose a task will require a lot of space and materials. This may also cause a misbalance in those areas that are wealthier being able to provide a more well rounded and expansive education than areas that do not have the funds and resources to do so. Those in larger cities, with no outdoor space to practice the forest school may have to travel miles to find anywhere, this not only costing the government for transportation, but also taking time out of the working day to travel there. This resulting in those who come from cities or less advantaged backgrounds missing out on vital time to learn.
What aspects of learning are illuminated by this comparison?
This comparison of the alternative education and the current public education system in the early years illuminates the importance of creating an education that is unique to the individuals needs. Whilst the EYFS framework does include individuality and a focus on a child’s unique qualities within their learning it does not allow the child to be the sole leader and driver behind their learning choices. This resulting in children not gaining that independence at a young age and growing in confidence to make their own decisions as they progress through the education system.
Through the comparison we also see the aspects of learning that the public education system can provide. In the EYFS framework, the teaching follows a more play-based learning approach. This providing children with a chance to develop their imagination and creativity through the play. This coincides with the Montessori methods of teaching, where play and a child actively taking part in the learning is of paramount importance to their success in gaining new knowledge.
Education should be there to harness individual potential and for children to be exposed to diversity and challenges that they may face within life. It should prepare children for the future without repressing their freedom of choice within education. Macmurray believes that the ‘task of contemporary education is to understand and respond to fundamental questions about how human beings lead good lives together in the context of profound and persistent change’ (Fielding, 2012). We can see that both the public education system and the alternative education are different approaches to try to fill these needs, however, neither are completely able to fill this gap. The public education system aims more to fill the needs of society, whereas the alternative fills the needs of the individual. This could suggest that there is no one way to educate, therefore alternative educations are a good way to be able to provide a different approach to the public education system.
References
Fielding, M., 2012. Education as if people matter: John MacMurrary, community and the struggle for democracy. Oxford Review of Education, 38(6), pp. 675-692.