An academic from Iceland has joined Charles Sturt University (CSU) education experts to develop better ways of listening and responding to children’s views on preparing for and going to school. Dr Johanna Einardottir, an education researcher with the University of Iceland, is particularly interested in the ways teachers get children’s views on starting school, using methods as varied as drawing, interviews, cameras and group discussions. “I have already seen how similar children are globally in regards to what concerns them, such as moving away from family and finding new friends,” she said. However, Dr Einardottir has noted some differences. “In Nordic countries such as Iceland, children go to school when they are aged six or seven years, and most are in pre-school from two-years-old. In Iceland, the government pays 80 per cent of pre-school fees.” Since arriving in Albury two weeks ago, Dr Einardottir has already attended a conference in Adelaide and is currently preparing for a major education conference on Tuesday 12 October on children starting school.