'Cool it' on early years, say Tories
Reversing the decline in numbers of childminders would be a priority under Conservative leadership, while early years education would take a back seat, shadow universities secretary David Willetts has said.
Tory proposals were set out at a question-and-answer session on family policy by the Associate Parliamentary Group for Parents and Families at the House of Commons, organised by the Family and Parenting Institute.
Mr Willets, who has special responsibility for family policy, said, 'There has been an enormous amount of work on the early years. We need to cool it a bit and give people an opportunity to settle down. Work in the early years is incredibly important, but in general I think it is being over-educationalised.
'I'd like to ease up on early years outcomes so childcare is more rewarding and the experience is providing the childcare, rather than something that has to be put down in observations, which can sometimes change the nature of the experience.'
Instead, Mr Willetts expressed an interest in finding ways to reverse the decline in the number of childminders.
But Andrew Fletcher, joint chief executive of the National Childminding Association, told Nursery World, 'NCMA would be cautious and concerned about language which focuses on a false distinction between care and education and suggestions that settings focus on care rather than education. While the introduction of frameworks like the EYFS are always challenging, evidence from Ofsted suggests that childminders are doing well and achieving good outcomes.They need continued support to ensure they are considered different but equal, so parents can make choices about childcare.'
Mr Willetts also said the Tories would give more support to grandparents who look after their grandchildren, with the possibility of being able to access public funding and be free of regulation.
The Tories pledged their commitment to Sure Start Children's Centres at a summit on family policy chaired by shadow families minister Maria Miller (News, 25 June).
However, shadow chancellor George Osborne appeared to contradict this in an interview with the BBC last week, when he said that only health and international development would be protected from spending cuts. When asked about protecting spending on schools and Sure Start, Mr Osborne said, 'I am not protecting other areas at this stage.'
He added, eThe Soho childminder project is unique to that area and represents a niche model. Evidence suggests that most childminders benefit from working together as part of quality improvement networks.i
However, he expressed particular interest in teenagers, claiming the transition from childhood to adulthood was as important as early neurological experiences.
