From birth, infants will be assessed on the way they communicate and their everyday movements such as chucking their dinner on the floor and making odd marks in it. The government have set 69 “early learning goals” for 4 to 5 year olds, which will cover the 3 R’s, reading, writing and arithmetic, skill levels expected.

By September 2008, every child care centre and child minder will be required to record the progress made by every child they look after. Up to 11 months of age, noises and actions they make in different moods will also be recorded. Also, child carers have been advised to keep track of babies mimicking adults, and exploring their own movements.

These ideas are supported by some, but many others think it is madness, as children could end up being robbed of their childhood by education. As general secretary of the union of teachers commented, “It is one thing to monitor children’s development to ensure they are progressing as they should be. It is lunacy to assess babies on the squiggles the make in their food, or on their gurgling.”