Anyone who has worked in the early years sector for a number of years will be aware of how hard won its victories have been. Since childcare provision expanded under Labour in the 1990s, and the Early Years Foundation Stage was established under the Childcare Act in 2006, early years education has worked hard to provide a structured, evidenced approach to improving children’s outcomes. While the sector battles to remain sustainable, and win more funding, it now seems to face its greatest existential threat.
A new Government, focused on ‘deregulation’, is clearly in danger of unravelling everything that has been achieved.
The rumours have certainly been worrying. Before the dramatic U-turn on energy and tax pledges announced by PM Liz Truss, we were hearing rumbles from a right-wing think-tank about abolishing the free hours and scrapping ratios altogether. But as if to assuage these concerns, the DfE has flagged the £180 million ‘to improve children’s development in early years’.
However, it didn’t take long to work out that this funding had already been unveiled under the Early Years Recovery Programme – so it’s nothing new. Meanwhile, everyone is still in the dark as to how the Government will respond to its consultation on ratios.
I’m wondering if Professor Peter Moss is right when he describes the Government’s leaks and proposals as ‘rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic’ (Analysis, page 6). It doesn’t get much more bleak than that.
One can agree that this uncertainty is a huge distraction from what really matters. In the wake of Covid, with soaring energy bills and the workforce crisis, the threat of policy changes could lead to yet more nursery closures. Undoubtedly by the time you read this, the political picture will have moved on – and let’s hope it is looking a little brighter.