The summary results of the 2003 Pre-school and Daycare Census reveal a 22 per cent increase in the number of children receiving pre-school education from private sector partner centres, compared with growth of 4 per cent at council-run centres and 7 per cent at voluntary sector partner centres.
Patricia McGinty, a director of the Scottish Independent Nurseries Association, said, 'Some local authorities have been keen to commission places in the private sector when they realise that it is more cost-effective. For example, in east Dunbartonshire, the local authority's cost to provide pre-school education is two-and-a-half times my cost. Also, reports about the quality of education in the private sector have shown it is good, and we are way ahead in offering integrated care and education, and that's what parents need.'
The private sector increase was matched by a 20 per cent growth in staff delivering pre-school education in these centres. However, surprisingly, the number of staff involved in delivering pre-school education in local authority centres fell from 10,071 to 8,809, a drop of 13 per cent.
A Scottish Executive spokes-person said, 'There will be a number of factors impacting on the reduction of staff in local authority centres, one of which is the growth involved in private pre-school education centres. The movement of staff between the public and private parts of the sector is becoming more the norm and broadens the experience available across the sector.'
The census also reveals a 34 per cent growth in the number of out-of-school clubs, up to 623 in January 2003, and holiday playschemes, up 26 per cent to 187. Janet Law, national policy officer for the Scottish Out of School Care Network, said, 'This increase in out-of-school care places reflects the funding made available from the New Opportunities Fund for new places.'
Growth in the number of nurseries providing either pre-school education or daycare - which was not subdivided into private and local authority - was stable, at 2 per cent. The number of family centres in this category rose by 63 per cent to 285 in January 2003, while there was an 18 per cent drop in the number of playgroups, from 1,069 to 875.
A Scottish Executive spokes-person said, 'The expansion in funded pre-school education places will have had an effect on the traditional services available for children. However, the number of places available for children has increased to cope with the changing demand.'
Statistics on childminding were also collected as part of the census in the last week of January for the first time this year. These are due to be published by the beginning of September.
Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) national development officer Maggie Simpson described the move to collect data on childminding as a 'huge step forward'. She said that the Scottish Executive had worked with the SCMA to devise a questionnaire, with similar questions to those put to providers of daycare where appropriate.
