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Scotland: Free nursery scheme ends

Early intervention pilots funded by the Scottish government that have given free nursery education to 900 vulnerable two-year-olds will not be rolled out across the country.

The three local authorities who ran the 2m, two-year projects -North Ayrshire, Glasgow and Dundee - may choose to continue the schemesafter June, but the money will no longer be ring-fenced.

The decision has been made before the results of agovernment-commissioned evaluation of the pilot by StrathclydeUniversity are published in September.

The initiative was originally set up by the Labour government in2006.

When he was appointed after the SNP won elections last May, children'sminister Adam Ingram told Nursery World, 'We think that more emphasisneeds to be put on early intervention. These problems need to beaddressed almost from birth. We'd like to move towards a similar systemas in Scandinavian countries, where good childcare is available from thepoint of maternity leave.'

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