Upstart Scotland

Website
www.upstart.scot

Upstart Scotland campaigns for a rights-focused, relationship-centred, play-based kindergarten stage for children between 3 and 7 years old. The UN defines early childhood (when care/education should be concerned with children's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development, in order to build a 'broad and strong foundation for lifelong learning and well-being) as birth to 8. Yet in Scotland, children are expected to start school at 4/5 years, with national standardised assessment in literacy and numeracy in P1. We argue that this is contributing to the current attainment gap and the huge increase in mental health problems among children and young people..