Expanded nursery bucks campus trend
The expansion of a university nursery has been hailed as a positive move for student parents by a union that is campaigning against the closure of campus-based childcare settings.
The former Reading University Student's Union nursery in Berkshire has re-opened as a purpose built five-room facility named Little Learners Day Nursery. The setting can cater for up to 94 children from three months to five years at any one time, compared with just 40 before the opening of the new building, and staff numbers have increased from 11 to 36. Little Learners also offers extended opening times, with care available for 49 weeks of the year.
The new facility bucks the trend for closing campus nurseries which prompted three unions to launch a campaign (News, 23 September).
Unison, the National Union of Students and the University and College Union said that the closures went against the Government's aim to bring more mature students into higher education.
Christina McAnea, head of education for Unison, said, 'We welcome the University of Reading's decision to invest in a new nursery. We have been campaigning hard against cuts to childcare provision, which may mean that less privileged students cannot continue their education. Nurseries provide a vital service and investment is important, especially during a tough economic climate. We hope Reading's example will inspire other universities to reconsider cuts, as once nurseries are removed they are rarely replaced.'
In a survey last year, Unison found that up to 20 nurseries on university and college campuses were facing closure (News, 29 July).
Maria Reed, nursery manager at Little Learners, said, 'Campus nurseries are a vital service for university staff and students. Given the current economic climate and the sad news that many universities are closing their nurseries, I am delighted that the university, in partnership with the students' union, has provided the support to build our new state-of-the-art facility.'
