Yes, but are Forest schools just a trend? You may be wondering this exact thing as you consider where to send your child for their first years of playschool.
It’s 2024 and it seems we as a society have returned to encouraging unstructured outdoor play, echoing parental practices of the past. Humans adapt to their environment, but societal needs often guide collective choices. To understand why Forest Schools are “trending”, we must consider our socioeconomic and environmental context.
That way we can consider that it’s not simply a vogue childcare trend but that the Forest School approach goes beyond benefitting children’s well-being. More significantly it shows us that as a model of education Forest Schooling aligns with our society’s evolutionary path and how our children can be their most successful adapted selves within that path.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
First, a little stitched together history lesson.
100 years of child-rearing, then and now
What we thought was good and normal in the last 100 years, when it came to raising our kids has shifted significantly, due to society’s fluctuating needs and perspectives. Educational norms are a response to what is happening in the world at large and how we view ourselves in the context of our environment. So let’s stitch together a few frames of reference for a better picture of where childhood education has mirrored the demands of the world and continues to be adaptive in its nature.
Photo by Keren Fedida on Unsplash
Early 20th Century (1900 – 1920): Industrialisation and Child Labour
- Socioeconomic situation: Industrialisation leads to increased child labour, forcing many children into the workforce at very young ages.
- Educational response: Compulsory education laws are brought in to address child labour and provide basic education (primed for obedience and optimal task execution).
- Parental focus during this time: Traditional values, discipline, correcting child behaviour. Keeping your child alive meant keeping them in line.
Common adages toward children during this time:
- “Children should be seen and not heard.”
- “Spare the rod, spoil the child.”
- “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
How society as a whole viewed nature, the earth and our environment:
- Nature was a commodity.
- Exploitation of natural resources ran rampant for financial gain.
- Humans viewed themselves as having dominion of nature, there for our exploitation without consequence.
- Little knowledge of our long-term impact was known.
Photo by Boston Public Library on Unsplash
Mid-20th Century (1945 – 1964): Post-War and Economic Boom
- Socioeconomic situation: Post-war economic growth and increased prosperity led to a focus on education as a means of social mobility.
- Educational Response: Governments invested heavily in education, expanding access and improving standards.
- Parental focus during this time: Social advancement, family, community, personal responsibility. Contributions to science were highly valued as were traditional professions like being a doctor, lawyer or teacher.
Common adages toward children during this time:
- “Education is the key to success.”
- “Work hard, play hard.”
- “Family comes first.”
How society as a whole viewed nature, the earth and our environment:
- The aftermath of wars led to an awareness of pollution and depletion on resources.
- Conservation movements like Wilderness Society began gaining momentum with advocacy for protection of wildernes areas.
- Governments begin introducing some regulation to mitigate concerns about environmental damage and resource depletion.
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Late 20th Century (1980 – 1999): Globalisation and Technological Advancements
- Socioeconomic situation: Globalisation and technological advancements transformed the job market, demanding new skills and knowledge.
- Educational Response: Education systems shifted towards a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects and critical thinking skills.
- Parental focus during this time: A dual-folded approach emerged. Excelling in the “sought after” fields that would guarantee a good financial life on one had. But personal growth, pursuing passions, individuality and self-expression on the other with the big dream of ‘fame’.
Common adages toward children during this time:
- “Follow your dreams.”
- “Diversity is strength.”
- “It’s okay to make mistakes.”
How society as a whole viewed nature, the earth and our environment:
- Significant increase in environmental awareness fueled in large part by events like oil spills of the 60s and 70s and the impact of plastic on our oceans.
- Global environmental organisations such as World Wildlife fund and Greenpeace make head way in raising awareness of the challenges we face on a global scale.
- Governments implement stricter policies toward regulating environmental best practices, offsetting pollution and protecting remaining natural resources.
21st Century: Environmental Concerns and Digital Age
- Socioeconomic: Growing environmental concerns and the digital age have influenced educational approaches.
- Educational Response:
- There’s a rising emphasis on sustainability, environmental education, and digital literacy with blended learning emerging due to the capabilities of technology.
- Education prioritises critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability.
- Teaching soft skills, creative thinking, resilience, and emotional self regulation is recognised as integral to a well-rounded education.
- Alternative education models like homeschooling and unschooling have gained popularity due to many perceiving traditional education systems a failure.
- Parental focus during this time: Diversity, inclusivity, nurturing a child’s emotional landscape.
Common adages toward children during this time:
- “Technology can be a tool for learning.”
- “Raise them to be kind.”
- “Every child is unique.”
How society as a whole viewed nature, the earth and our environment
- Climate change becomes the most pressing environmental issue of the 21st century.
- A growing emphasis on sustainable development takes root, which seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- Environmental education is a top priority in many schools and communities, fostering awareness and understanding of these issues among young people.
How do Forest Schools complete this picture?
Forest Schooling addresses all the needs of the 21st-century child, having learnt and built on the lessons of the past. With the importance of early childhood development now being recognised, many countries have invested in these modalities for early childhood education programs.
- Ecological re-integration: A child who understands their collective part in the ecosystem won’t jeopardise the balance of their shared symbiosis. A deep love of nature must be fostered in their formative years for this prioritised relationship to inform all other actions.
- Promoting holistic development: It’s a privilege to be able to gift your child a holistic education where their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development is integrative. Children engage in activities that promote physical fitness, problem-solving, creativity, and communication skills.
- Encouraging Independent Learning: Finally, understanding that we cannot expect children to go through a regimented, structured schooling model that paints each child with the same brush and all come out equally “skilled and productive to society”, Forest schools emphasise child-led learning, allowing children to explore and discover at their own pace. This approach nurtures independence, self-confidence, and a self-driven love for learning that serves them into adulthood long after good grades and pocket money motivate them.
- Supporting Emotional Well-being: As the pressures of the modern age – social media’s impact on neurological function and the climate crisis to name two over-arching contenders – increase. It becomes ever more important to teach children how to self-regulate and reduce their stress and anxiety. Science has finally proven that time in nature has always held this antidote. Forest schools provide a calming and nurturing environment where children can develop emotional resilience and self-regulation.
So are Forest Schools a trend? With the changing needs of our society at large, Forest Schools as a choice for early childhood education are a healing response to the educational models that came before it. It’s less about choosing a pleasant past-time for their formative years, and more about internalising that for a planet to sustain them in their future, the relationship between child and nature needs to be tantamount.
With that in mind, Forest Schools are not such a wild notion after all.