Public behind plans to expand funded early education as long as challenges are tackled - survey
Katy Morton
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Just 32 per cent of voters said they support the Government’s plan to extend the funded entitlement when made aware of low funding rates, challenges with the workforce and a lack of floor space.
According to a report from the newly formed Early Education and Childcare Coalition on voter’s attitudes to childcare sector reform, over two-thirds (68 per cent) said they think it is a good idea in principle to expand funded childcare provision.
However, when the plans and potential challenges to the policy were discussed, support for the expansion dropped to just 32 per cent.
The report, ‘Pulse Check: Public attitudes towards early education and childcare’, is based upon a survey of 2,046 adults from across Great Britain in April, along with focus groups in the constituencies of the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, and the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson.
Other findings include:
- More than 40 per cent say that childcare and early education reform will be a key decider for their vote in the general election.
- 44 per cent of people think that childcare and early education professionals are underpaid.
- Almost two-thirds (59 per cent) think that good early years education benefits the whole country, not just parents.
- Over a third (40 per cent) support investing more taxpayers’ money in early education and childcare even if it means higher taxes for everyone, rising to 59 per cent for people who are hoping to become a parent.
The new report comes as the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, formed by more than 30 organisations representing parents, children and providers, holds its official launch event today in Westminster.
'It's clear that childcare reform is not just a priority for parents now, but for future parents too'.
Sarah Ronan, acting director of the Coalition, said, ‘Right now, we have an opportunity to truly transform the future of early education and childcare through sustainable reform of the sector. Voters understand that we all benefit from an early education and childcare sector with the right investment. Politicians need to understand that, too and invest accordingly.
‘It's clear from our data that childcare reform is not just a priority for parents now but for future parents too, and for grandparents who often find themselves plugging the gap created by the current broken system. British voters have told us here that they think the early education workforce is underpaid and undervalued.
‘Parents don’t want “cheap childcare” at the expense of quality or safety. They care about their children’s experience, and importantly, they care about the people that care for and educate their children.’
