Will early years education and social policy positively influence the childhoods of kids living in Britain today - Essay Example

Basically, education is a right necessitating that this be available to all the constituents of a country. However, despite education being a constitutional right, there are many governments, most especially from the developing economies that have failed to protect this very important heritage for their nation’s children. Anker (2005) laments about the plight of these children who needs to work in order to survive. Indeed, most of these children have to shoulder the heavy household chores after getting off whatever work that they may have to earn some money.

However, as an advanced economy, Britain must ensure that its policies and legislation do not fall into this trap. It is important that the state is able to defend this right. However, it must be noted that the state alone should not shoulder this responsibility but must be proactively shared with the parents. Moreover, it has been argued by Tickell (2011) that there must be an increased awareness of the importance of interaction with the children as well as the need to ensure that there is a better way to facilitate the understanding of such procedures.

This can only be possible with the cooperation of the state and parents in the sense that the parents must know about their children’s development coupled with the capability of the governments to provide manpower and resources to cater to these developmental needs. Childhood Recognised As an advanced economy, British children have usually benefited from the government since they are usually valued more on the emotional rather than on the economic spectrum. This has been the traditional view of these countries that have historically been the richer nations.

Hence, it is important that these countries are able to maintain their status and not be influenced by the practises that are prevalent in the developing nations (Zelizer, 1994). It is thus easy to see that childhood has been viewed by the different nations which, as mentioned, seem to have a clear demarcation line between developing and developed nations. These views have evolved throughout the years as civilization has progressed. As civilization progressed, there has likewise been an increasing crevasse between adulthood and childhood wherein they have been relegated to a social position that has to be protected and even punished (de Mause, 1976; Orme, 2001).

Moreover, it has been stressed by Cunningham (2006) and Gittins (1998) that the culture in Britain that takes a stand against child labour wherein they are against children starting their work early. Moreover, way back in the 16th century, they have had the practice of teaching children found begging of some useful artisan skills by getting them as apprentices. Indeed, there has been a historical inclination towards Puritanism that has put in a regime of strictness to children valuing education and regarding play as wasteful.

This is probably where the belief of governments to view children as investments spawned from. Basically, children will be the ones that will lead the nation in the future and will be the ones that will continue the heritage of their forefathers. Hence, it has been deemed important that children be invested upon by the government wherein education plays crucially in order to foster a more globally capable citizenry (Hendrick, 2003; DfES, 2008). Furthermore, Hendrick (1997) recognises the variation of the discussions on childhood depending on the cultural development of the country.

In most western nations, which include Britain, focuses on protecting and educating their children. Hence, it is very important that in Britain there are policies in place so that the children will be protected. It has then been a strong focus in these countries in order to foster the idyllic childhood for their children. Of course