Fundamental sectoral issues need addressing by parties

Last week saw the dissolution of Parliament ahead of another ‘snap’ general election. Unlike the snap election of 2017, this one was much easier to predict. In fact, my colleagues in EPI thought ahead and secured a small grant from the Nuffield Foundation to publish a new report ahead of an early election.

The rationale was that, in keeping with the trend over the last three years, Brexit is likely to dominate public debate ahead of the election date. Other important issues about public services including health, education and welfare are at risk of being deprioritised as public scrutiny continues to be focused on our relationship with the European Union.

To try to avoid this, our forthcoming report will do two things. First, it will set out the key education priorities that any government taking office on 13 December should seek to tackle. While we are still drafting that section, it’s no state secret to say that access to high-quality early years provision forms one of those priorities. As our own research shows, the sector is struggling with a low-qualified workforce, real-terms pay cuts and high turnover rates.

The second part of our report will analyse some of the key education pledges made by the major parties and assess them against the evidence of what works and what doesn’t.

Although party manifestos have not yet been published, Labour’s ‘National Education Service’ includes a commitment to free universal childcare, while the Conservatives are expected to include a commitment to increase the 30-hour entitlement from 38 weeks per year to 48 weeks in their forthcoming manifesto.

[Labour has since since announced its plans to expand the 30 hours to all two-to-four-year-olds.]

While it is tempting for political parties of any colour to offer more readily available and affordable childcare in order to secure the votes of ‘hard-working families’, such commitments must be both sufficiently funded and deliverable.

At present, the early years workforce is not only significantly lower-paid than the teaching profession, it is almost on par with the hair and beauty industry and, on current trends, the pay of early years workers is set to be overtaken by the pay of retail workers in the next couple of years.

No doubt there will be further ‘popular’ pledges for families as the election campaign ramps up. And while any focus on the early years is welcome, the fundamental issues of workforce, pay and sustainability need to be addressed if entitlements are to be expanded.