Why the Netherlands should invest in early (Beta) learning. A report on the ‘Building the Beta Brain’ Seminar on June 11th 2013 ‘Every child is a natural scientist,curious, asking questions,investigating, interacting with the environment. We just need to encourage them to continue.’
Business leaders, educators and policy makers all recognise that keeping the Netherlands productive and economically competitive requires more attention to subjects known in English by the acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and in Dutch by the acronym BETA. However, while teaching on these subjects has improved in the country’s secondary and primary schools, the foundations for Beta learning need to be laid earlier in life.
‘The earlier, the beta.’ That was the message of the ‘Building the Beta Brain’ seminar, held on June 11th 2013 at Siemens in The Hague. The seminar, organized by the Bernard van Leer Foundation and the National Platform
Science and Technology (Platform Bèta techniek) , was moderated by Diederik Jekel, a popular scientist familiar to Dutch children from his TV appearances. ‘Scientists should be everywhere in society, but they’re not,’ said Jekel. ‘It should be fun for children to work on science. We should cultivate their curiosity!’
When does learning begin? ‘When does learning begin?’ , a small film, demonstrated two important facts: parents are a child’s first teachers; and play is an important form of early learning. Engaged parents foster the creative talent and critical thinking skills necessary to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Trude Maas, outgoing trustee of Bernard van Leer, prominent businesswoman
and former member of the Dutch Senate, told participants: ‘I think it is of great importance to create more awareness about early learning – that it’s not only about teaching, but creating environments where young kids can learn by exploration.’ Pointing out that early learning is crucial not only to the children themselves, but to society as a whole, Maas added: ‘Corporations need to understand that investing in early learning programmes is a way to ensure the talents of their own future workforce.’ Siemens, the host of the seminar, reinforced Maas’s message through a short film about
‘Little Scientists House’ (Haus der kleine Forscher) in Germany. To stimulate early learning the Siemens Foundation supports this preschool programme focused on stimulating STEM learning through play. • www.bernardvanleer.org/whendoeslearningbegin
NL needs more technical and creative talent to stay competitive Thomas Steffens, macroeconomist and principal at the Boston Consulting Group, shared the findings of the recent report ‘NL 2030, contouren van een nieuw Nederlands verdienmodel’ (’The Netherlands in 2030: An outline of a new Dutch revenue model’). Steffens made the point that the adaptability of the Dutch economy to faster business cycles is dependent upon talents that are under-valued by the current curriculums on offer. ‘With a constant stream of new technologies and immense speed of change,’ Steffens explained, ‘companies have to learn to foster innovative talents early, in ways that also shape young children to be socially adaptable’. Rein Willems, President Director of Shell Netherlands from 2003 to 2007, recalled his intense discussions with the Dutch government on promoting BETA education. ‘Ten years later you can see some effect, but it’s not enough’, Willems said, pointing out that only around 25% of Dutch children choose ‘something technical’ for follow up education after finishing school, compared to upwards of 40% in other countries. Willems pointed to the example of Finland, which has the most qualified preschool and primary school teachers and universal access to quality early learning from eight months.
The neuroscience of early learning Hanna Swaab, professor of Neuro-pedagogy at Leiden University, researches the neurocognitive ‘building blocks’ that enable BETA learning. ‘Children are curious by nature’, Swaab told the seminar. ‘Curiosity is a very important biological drive because it leads to exploration, experiences,
and tools for better understanding of the surrounding world. Teachers and parents should stimulate curiosity and active exploration. The attitude of teachers and parents is therefore very important in the early years.’Pointing out that the ‘most explosive growth’ in brain size is between one and three years of age, Swaab added: ‘it’s really important to realize that it is all about wiring the brain and that is stimulated by experience, doing things, perceiving things, thinking. The first three years are very important in preparing the brain for the rest of the life.’
Nurturing the whole child Concluding the seminar was Milton Chen, senior fellow at the George Lucas Educational Foundation, which hosts www.edutopia.org. ‘We want children to explore in a very natural way, to let them ask questions about the world around them’, said Chen. ‘We can do a lot with the preschool age group. Kids can learn a lot more than we think between years 0 and 5, especially by using media and technology’. Chen spoke of the importance of nurturing the ‘whole child’, citing Harvard professor Howard Gardner’s work on the eight different types of intelligence: visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, bodily/kinaesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. ‘If we want to educate the whole child we have to think of all of these eight intelligences,’ said Chen. ‘Because all these different intelligences support brain development.’ Chen ended by quoting Picasso: ‘Every child is born an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist as you grow up.’ The same applies, he said, to science: ‘I would also say that every child is a natural scientist, curious, asking questions, investigating, interacting with the environment. We just need to encourage them to continue.’
What can be done in the Netherlands to increase attention to early Beta learning? Parents can be encouraged to motivate their children to play, explore and ask questions. Day care/Preschool educators can make sure they pay attention to the whole child and stimulate creativity and exploration and should be educated and trained to do so. Policy makers should ensure that day care and preschool centres are delivering high quality early learning and stimulation, along with care. Corporations can make the case for investment in early (beta) learning as a crucial component of securing future economic competitiveness. Corporations can partner with day care providers to sponsor high quality early learning centres as Siemens has done, which stimulate Beta learning. Corporations can ensure they have familiy friendly policies that benefit the young children of their employees.
To ďŹ nd out more please visit:
D e s ign : h o m e m adec o o k i es . n l
bernardvanleer.org or platformbetatechniek.nl