Thursday, December 20, 2007

Open Eye Campain ~ online petition to Downing Street

If you're worried about the increasing 'schoolification' of children's lives (especially the under fives), please sign up to this petition:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/OpenEYE/

We CAN make the government take notice if we join together.

With gratitude, Veronika

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would urge everyone to sign this petition, the organisers want at least a thousand signatures within a couple of days to make an impact. A lot have signed since I did this morning, but nowhere near the thousand.It affects everyone with children under 5, I don't think it will be possible to opt out and ignore it-it needs to be stopped before it comes into operation next September.

rae-ann said...

I've been amazed at how many mothers have said to me 'I can't see anything wrong with it' and are not interested in signing.
These are mothers who supposedly follow a more 'alternative' lifestyle too. **sigh**

My biggest concern is that the Govt are like a dog with their paws in their air. Let them get away with this and then it will be the next thing, and the next, and the next.

These issues have a snowball effect, and we must look to the long term, not just be happy at stopping something in the short term.

Early years foundation leads to what?? Mandatory vaccinations and micro chips in the back of their necks at birth, perhaps?

Does I sound crazy and paranoid? I don't think so.

Let our children have their childhoods so that they can develop in a balanced, grounded, fun and spiritual way.
Let them enjoy their imaginations, angels, fairies, their physicality and the open air.

We have all the time in the world to fill the spaces in our brains with intellectual pursuits, but childhood can never be relived (and how many dissatisfied adults are trying to do just that?)

Rae x

Anonymous said...

I think that you are so right Rachelle, everyone should be very concerned but I don't think that people understand the implications. Anyone who provides childcare of any sort will have to comply with it. Play will have to be planned and will be designed to create outcomes that adults think that the children should be achieving! Spontaneity, individuality and the sheer joy of childhood will disappear as targets have to be met.Records will be kept on children (and we are talking about babies here!)For example babies should show that they enjoy babbling, toddlers should push food around the plate to show they enjoy making marks!!
The whole thing is ludicrous, the first five years of a child's life should be free so that they can develop at their own pace.
Mothers who are following a more 'alternative' lifestyle and intend to home educate should sign, I think that Rachelle is right and we need to think to the long term. Only 949 people have signed as I write this which is peanuts compared to the number that signed the road fund licensing petition. They need huge opposition to make them stop and think.