Author: debbieszekrenyes
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From Practice to Policy: How to Read and Understand Any Early Years Framework
Policy frameworks shape how we understand and deliver early learning, and therefore shape the environments in which we teach, learn, and care. They can feel overwhelming: long documents filled with technical language, statutory requirements, and strategic aims that do not always translate easily into classroom practice. In an earlier post I covered what has changed…
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Reinforced & Re-emphasised Areas in the EYFS 2025
That Practitioners Should Not Overlook The September 2025 EYFS statutory framework does not just introduce new changes — it also strengthens the foundations we already know matter most. While my last post explored the new requirements, this one focuses on areas the Department for Education (DfE) has deliberately re-emphasised. These are not brand-new additions, but they serve as…
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What is Changing in the EYFS from September 2025?
A Quick Guide for Early Years Practitioners and Settings From September 2025, the updated Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework for England will take effect. These changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but they matter. They prioritise professional autonomy, children’s emotional and physical well-being, and more consistent safeguarding practices. This guide outlines some of the…
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Whose Story Gets Told? Curriculum, Identity and Exclusion in Romania
It did not take me long to decide that I wanted to write my Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) paper on Romania’s national history curriculum. History education is a deeply political and highly debated subject around the world, and for me, this topic goes beyond a mere academic exercise. Being a Hungarian minority raised in Romania,…
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What School Completion in The Gambia Taught Me About: Research, Inequality, and My Expectations
Before deciding to write my dissertation as a quantitative study, I contemplated adopting a mixed-methods approach. The year before I began writing, I had the opportunity to intern and volunteer for a social protection study in The Gambia.
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How I Found My Passion for Education, Research, and Equity
Growing up in Romania, I observed how a child’s access to education was frequently affected by factors beyond their control. My father’s involvement in humanitarian work exposed me to the efforts of charities supporting underserved communities from an early age. During my teenage years, I began volunteering, which included teaching children from the Roma community in my free time.…
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From Inequality to Opportunity: How Socio-Economic Factors Impact School Completion in The Gambia
School completion remains a significant challenge in global education policy, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where access to education does not always guarantee graduation.
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Whose History Is It? A Critical Discourse Analysis of Minority Representation in Romanian History Curriculum
This paper examines the Romanian history curriculum through the lens of Recognition Theory to evaluate how national minorities, particularly the Hungarian community, are represented (or not represented).
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Cash Transfers and Education Equity in Kenya: A Policy Brief on the CT-OVC Programme
This policy brief critically assesses the role of Kenya’s Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) programme in improving educational outcomes for some of the country’s most disadvantaged children.
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Socio-Economic Factors and School Completion in Malawi: A Quantitative Analysis Using MICS Data
This paper examines how socio-economic factors—such as wealth, gender, region, and access to social protection—affect school completion at the primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels in Malawi.