Speaking at the Daycare Trust’s annual conference in London, she said, ‘We need high quality childcare that is flexible and affordable, and it should be a universal offer. However, we do have problems. The Government spends £6bn a year on childcare, which as a share of GDP is twice the OECD average. While this is the right prioritisation, providers are struggling and families are facing rising costs. The system is expensive and confusing, and for second earners it often doesn’t make sense to work.’
Ms Truss identified underlying problems to do with status and pay of the workforce. ‘Childcare workers earn 40 per cent less here than they would earn in France, for example. The sector needs to be attractive to graduates and there needs to be clear career paths. We know from the academies programme that autonomy works, with these schools improving results at twice the national average. This model gives more power to head teachers to pay, recruit and retain quality staff.’
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