We caught up with our newly appointed Chair of Trustees, Mark Devlin on his new role and why he is passionate about joining the Froebel Trust team.
Protecting early childhood as a safe and slower phase of our children’s lives where they can explore and learn is increasingly important.
As an experienced Chair and CEO, Mark has amassed 25 years working at Board level in the public and third sectors, with his most recent role being CEO of the children’s charity, Young Epilepsy. Prior to this, he was COO of Unicef UK. We were keen to find out more about his decision to join the Trust, what motivates his work and his hopes for the future.
Here's what he had to say…
Why did you want to become the Chair of Trustees at the Froebel Trust?
I was delighted to be appointed to Chair the Froebel Trust because I think that high quality early years education and development are beneficial for all children as key determinants of their well-being, self-confidence and future life chances. I also believe that in addition to the strong heritage of Froebelian principles, they have huge resonance and application in the context of today’s world and the new challenges facing families, children and educators.
What do you think are the main issues impacting young children?
I think childhood, like so many aspects of modern life, is under pressure from shortened attention spans, digital overload and reduced peer interaction or play, which is such a formative experience. Protecting early childhood as a safe and slower phase of our children’s lives where they can explore and learn is increasingly important. I think that approach is central to Froebelian thinking. For example, I find the ‘slow pedagogy’ concept fascinating and very timely in this regard.
What is your connection to early childhood education or the Froebelian approach?
In terms of connection to the cause, my career has had a focus on children’s issues more broadly for more than a decade. Firstly, through my work with Unicef, which has a very strong focus on education as a fundamental right for all children. In relation to early education, I have previously chaired a group of children’s centres in South London, which were former Sure Start providers.
In my time as CEO at Young Epilepsy we developed a new pre-school facility within our special education service. On that note, I believe that early years education is equally important for children with additional needs.
Having said all that, I’d be the first to admit I have a lot to learn about the world of early years education. I’ll be relying on the deep expertise already around the Council table.
What do you think the primary role of being Chair of Froebel Trust is?
I think the primary role of chair is to effectively convene the council in overseeing the effective governance of the Trust and with them, support the CEO and her team in advancing the Trust’s strategy.
As council members, we all have a responsibility as ambassadors for the cause. I would like to see greater awareness of how much the adoption of Froebelian principles can bring to early years education.
What challenges do you think early years educators face?
Early years educators face a huge challenge in terms of time and resource availability. I hope the Trust can help support with high quality training opportunities and signposting helpful learning resources.
We can also inform best practice through funding research and sharing the findings.
In your career or work so far, what are you most proud of?
In my career, I am most proud of the work I have done in organisations to help children raise their voice, be listened to and taken seriously.
What or who inspires you?
In my career, I have met many young people who have changed their lives and those of others through the courage and determination they show in the face of difficulty. I find that inspiring.
What do you most like to do when you’re away from work?
When I am away from work, I am a keen gardener and to ease the back ache from weeding or hedge cutting, a spot of yoga or a swim is how I like to relax.
