The Role of Play in Estonia and Armenia: Let Children Be Children
By Neil Arora, 2024
Fellow’s Profile
Fellow’s Profile
Scaffolded play, lessons from Estonia and Armenia
Providing innovative ways of play to serve as tools in reducing the disadvantage gap.
2023
London
I currently work as a partnerships manager for a national UK education charity. My work aims to contribute to the charity's mission, which is focused on reducing the disadvantage gap within the UK education sector. Before this, I worked as a business studies secondary school teacher.
My Fellowship focuses on equality, empowerment and scaffolded play that could be used as a tool to reduce the disadvantage gap in the UK education system. I want to explore why and how Estonia prioritises kindergarten and scaffolded play until age 7 rather than early years rigorous testing and I aim to explore why and how Armenia embeds chess in the school curriculum.
When I was a student I was frustrated with our education system Ð I grew up believing that I was not smart and therefore there was no point in trying in school. I learnt chess at 17 during my school lunchtime, and this changed my life. Now I have the confidence to tackle life's challenges and I feel equipped to participate effectively in life. Play empowered me to grow.
Through my Fellowship, I hope to bring back informative findings that serve as tools for reducing the disadvantage gap.
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.