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Early childhood expert speaks out on academic pressure in UEL lecture

Wednesday 12 March 2008

With concern growing over increasing academic pressure on young children, Dr Lillian Katz, an internationally-renowned expert in early childhood education, led a debate with students at the University of East London (UEL) Stratford campus on Tuesday 11 March.

Dr Katz, Professor Emerita of Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois, is a former president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and has published over 150 articles and books concerning childhood education, teacher training, child development and parenting.

At UEL, she spoke to students from the School of Education about a wide range of topical issues, including the lack of understanding shown by policy-makers towards early years education and the unfairly poor wages paid to early childhood educators. 

Dr. Katz said: “In order to create an effective curriculum, policy-makers must start by developing a much clearer understanding of the nature of early years education. Where they have continually failed is in over-emphasising academic rather than experiential education.

“Among early learning teachers, a child’s social contact is widely recognised as more important than their academic ability. Introducing children to formal academic education too early may speed up their acquisition of key skills, but can also damage their disposition to use them.”

Born in England, Lilian Katz achieved her PhD in Child Development at Stanford University in 1968. She has twice won the prestigious Fulbright Award and is the current editor of the journal Early Childhood Research & Practice, which she founded in 1999.

Carolyn Silberfeld, Programme Leader in Early Childhood Studies at UEL, said: “Dr. Katz has played a crucial role in the development of the contemporary field of early childhood education and was one of the first people to write about ethical issues in the field.

“She has long been an active and deeply reflective voice, and we are very privileged that she has been able to visit our campus today. During a time of great emphasis on academic achievement and accountability, Dr Katz continues to advocate the importance of development of social competence in early years.”

UEL’s School of Education is internationally renowned for teaching and research in Early Childhood Studies. The School offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including Education and Community Development, English Language Teaching, and Youth Community Work. For further information, visit www.uel.ac.uk/education.

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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