Nursery World - Editor’s view

Voting time is fast approaching, and we’ve summarised the early years pledges of the main parties on page 7.

The Conservatives’ manifesto was not what you could call a crowd-pleaser for the PVI sector. There was confirmation the 30 hours programme will go ahead, but no mention of extra funding. Money was promised for primary schools to open nurseries, which would further intensify competition for younger children. This seems strange from the party traditionally on the side of small businesses.

There will be concern, too, over plans to ‘strengthen’ the teaching of numeracy and literacy in the early years, if that indicates an ever more formal approach. And mention of looking at the ‘best ways’ childcare is provided around the world raises the spectre of ratio revision again.

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