David Willetts, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universitiesand Skills, may have given the early years sector a measure ofencouragement with some elements of his speech at the Daycare Trustconference last week (News, page 4).
He promised backing from a Conservative Government for Sure Start,although not without significant changes. Perhaps more surprisingly,while his scripted speech did not mention the Early Years FoundationStage, he responded to an audience question with support for theprinciple of the framework.
This new, sympathetic stance may be born more of practicality thanideology. Despite all the Tories' criticisms of the EYFS andpronouncements that the early years has been 'over-educationalised', theramifications and complications of dismantling the EYFS may just haveseemed too great after close examination.
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