Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

After a rocky start of trying to make contact with someone over seas, I have managed to make contact with one organization. The organization that I have made contact with is called Early Education. This organization is located in the UK. I have been making contact with a person by the name of "Chris Hussey." He seems to be very happy and willing to help me through out this course. According to Chris, the Early  Education program is generally seen as being from 2 to 8 years of age, although  as an organization they support birth to eight and above! Formalized education takes place either with childminders, or in nursery/kindergarten equivalents of various types, before children normally move into mainstream schooling in England at either age 4 or 5. There is an emphasis (in the main) on play and creativity, but also through the developmental stage that a child may undertake, and in turn, preparing them for school too. 
As far as how the educations system in the UK work Chris replies, " Parents typically may send their children to a nursery or equivalent before formal school starts, this is often a sort of day care. Thereafter, schooling is compulsory from age 4/5 depending upon when their birthday falls – and such education is compulsory until the age of 18, unless there is adequate provision outside of a school environment. There are now many different types of school, depending upon the area, and there are both state and independent schools, which are either free to attend or fee paying.
 When it comes to issues/trends they are facing in the UK, he states that, 

"There are typically many issues, mostly centered on funding and adequate provision of both places and high quality teaching and learning. In recent time, the focus has been on 2 year olds. Interestingly now debate centres on what qualifications are required to teach within such schools and looking to make early years education more robust in this regard. Inevitably, there will be issues involving the other social and cultural factors that impinge on schools everywhere, such as inequality, that serve as barriers to success."

Poverty

This Week I have gained a lot more knowledge about the topic, "'issue of poverty".  I have learned that Poverty plays a key role in a child's education. Poverty is an issue that affects children all across the globe. I have leaned that the best way to try and eliminate poverty  in our communities is  by advocating to government leaders, senators, and etc to keep the programs that start children to learning at an early age.  In the UK which is the only country that I have made a connect with, 1 in 6 people live in poverty. Two children in every classroom in the UK are arriving at school having eaten no breakfast. Due to
government spending cuts, along with the rising cost of living more and more people are struggling to make ends meet. As I have learned many countries are facing the same issues with poverty across the globe.