In April 2023, the Education Policy Institute partnered with the OECD to host the launch of the OECD’s report ‘Starting Strong VII: Empowering Young Children in the Digital Age’. This event was kindly supported by Capita plc.
Given that Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings are the first public spaces where children can get an early understanding of digital technology, it is key to consider how we can implement safe and supportive practices, both to protect young children and give them the skills they need to thrive in the digital world. To achieve these aims, how should we be teaching children about the risks and opportunities that technology brings? What is the role of legislative action, for example through the Online Safety Bill, or other approaches, such as guidelines for practitioners and families or curriculum frameworks?
Increased digitalisation also offers opportunities to improve work processes, training and qualifications, as well as the overall quality of provision. Considering this, what should successful early years policies look like, and how could digitalisation address other challenges such as the recruitment and retention crisis in the Early Years workforce?
This event brought together policymakers, school leaders and education stakeholders to discuss the report’s findings. Following a presentation from Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, an expert panel including Marianne Betts, Capita Schools; Professor Rose Luckin, UCL Knowledge Lab; Katie Oliver, Ark Start and Dr Elizabeth Shuey, OECD considered how the report’s policy pointers could be used in the UK context and what we could learn from international comparisons. By asking questions about standards for online protection, ECEC curriculum and pedagogy, workforce development, family engagement, as well as data and monitoring systems, this event explored how ECEC policies are striving to achieve equitable outcomes in the wake of digitalisation.
