Colwyn Trevarthen: Securing the nation's future

Experts from around the UK will address precisely this question at 'The Child's Curriculum', a conference being held in Edinburgh today. Delegates will hear why investing in young children's wellbeing now costs much less than repairing the results of distress in the future.

Today's event reflects deep concern that economists' evidence is being ignored as high-quality provision for early childhood education is threatened.

Early years education has built on the tradition of collaborating with children's gifts of creativity and companionship to form communities of learners. Nursery schools have had a proud place in this tradition.

When parents seek out-of-home care, infants are placed in the care of staff who should be well prepared to respond to the child with affection.

Toddlers want to discover how to use their body and mind confidently, and they take pleasure and pride in learning by imitating. This early peer culture is creative, richly responsive to the environment and instructive to receptive adults who wish to share as companions in the child world.

Unfortunately, the creativity of young children is often outside the experience of those who have to manage the routine structures of the adult world, and who deal with economic, health, judicial and political problems of adult society.

There is justified anger and anxiety here and across Europe about the withdrawal of resources for early childhood. I believe we must focus on the needs of the children, as they will become the nation's needs.

The message is that efforts should be made to support practices locally that serve these rights well, regardless of cost.

This is a vital issue for anyone who cares about the future of children and of Scotland.

n Colwyn Trevarthen is professor (Emeritus) of child psychology and psychobiology at the University of Edinburgh.