According to an opinion survey published on January 24 in the United Kingdom, less than half of the parents believe that their children should be able to properly use a book before entering nursery school. This survey, carried out by the British Charitable Foundation Kindared Squared (Kincred²), comes as teachers point out that more and more children are starting their schooling with motor deficits and a lack of muscle strength, reports the British daily The Independent.
The survey in question, carried out by the Savanta Institute in October and November 2024, surveyed 1,034 members of the British primary school staff and 1,009 parents of children of schooling in England and Wales. Thus, 44% of the parents interviewed said they did not consider it useful that their child was able to properly use a book before entering school.
As for school staff, their response echoes this parents’ decision. Thus, 28% of British children who started the equivalent of the small kindergarten section in 2024 “Use the books incorrectly”said the teachers interviewed. David Battersby, school teacher in Rochdale (north-west of England), tells The Independent: “Over the years, it is becoming more and more obvious that children do not know how to use books. They are not familiar with the sharing of stories and do not know how to keep and interact with a book. ”
Problems ultimately unrelated to the pandemic?
This same survey also reveals that some children entering primary school are simply incapable of mounting the stairs, also notes the British daily The Guardian, thus echoing the muscle deficits observed by the teaching staff across the Channel. “I have two children in my class who cannot physically sit on the carpet. They have no muscle strength “testifies a teacher from a nursery school in the northwest of England.
The COVID-19 pandemic was first perceived as one of the main causes of these changes observed in children. However, for teachers who participated in this survey, the health crisis is increasingly appearing as a pretext. Indeed, 49% of the British teachers questioned estimate that these problems of motor skills and physical strength have worsened in the year 2024, regardless of the COVVI-19.
For educational staff, the causes of these phenomena seem more obvious. 54% of English or Welsh teachers say that children spend too much time on electronic devices, while 52% of them believe that parents do not read enough books to their children.
At the same time, the British government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced to prepare children at school one of its priorities in education. The UK authorities want 75% of children to reach a good level of development at the time of their school entry, against 68% currently, specifies The Guardian. In any case, the subject is on the table with our British neighbors.
