During a debate on the Ofsted annual report, Estelle Morris said, 'We were always straight about the rate of progress. We always said that in the first four years we would prioritise primary and early years education. We did so. We delivered and it worked.
'At the second election, we always said that we would prioritise secondary education. That is exactly what we will do, because we are addressing the difficulties at secondary level. The results show that with targeted effort, financial support and partnership between the Government and others, standards can be raised.'
Her comments will confirm the suspicions of many in the early years sector that were raised after Labour's second election victory last May, when Ms Morris told the House that the early years was no longer a Government priority.
Early years organisations agreed that it was short-sighted of the Government if it believed everything had been accomplished in its first term of office. Eva Lloyd, chief executive of the National Early Years Network, said, 'The early years sector is at a crucial stage and we have to be able to assess that it is working. There are still considerable difficulties, not least with Ofsted inspections, and we hope ministers will continue to listen and help solve some of the problems being thrown up in the sector.
'From children's perspective we cannot allow the rolling out of the early years to drop off the Government's agenda. There's too much at stake, especially with the Treasury spending review going on. The future of the service is at stake.'
Pat Wills, national chair of Early Education, said, 'We do welcome what the Government has done for the sector, but it's only a start. We understand where the education secretary is coming from with regard to the crisis in secondary schools, but it all comes back to what you're starting with at the ages of three, four and five.
'When Margaret Hodge was the early years minister before the last election she said, "Make the most of it now because the money won't come forever". We've suspected what Estelle Morris has said to be the case, because of various throwaway remarks that have been made since the last election.'
Karen Walker, strategic development director for the National Day Nurseries Association, said, 'We are delighted that the education secretary feels that everything's settled at primary and early years level, but practitioners wouldn't necessarily agree. Some quite radical changes, such as the national childcare strategy and the formation of Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships, have been introduced since 1997 and they must be given time to bed in. While we have come a long way in the past five years, there is still a long way to go.'
Margaret Lochrie, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said, 'On nursery education, the Government has clearly delivered. All four-year-olds and the majority of three-year-olds can now access free nursery education. And, importantly, the voluntary sector is now part of a sound inspection framework. On the childcare front, there is still more to be done and we look forward to the announcement of the spending review.'
