£15m boost for Scottish nurseries

The Scottish Executive has placed state and private nursery children on ‘a level playing field’ by providing £15m to extend the free early education entitlement from 33 to 38 weeks per year. The extension targets private and voluntary provision, as most state-run settings already run for 38 weeks through the school year. Fiona Hyslop, minister for education and lifelong learning, pledged £25m for education in the Scottish Parliament last week. This includes £9m to create 300 new teaching posts this August, prioritising pre-school settings and reducing class sizes from P1 to P3. Local authorities will be in charge...