Reform Scotland

Scotland’s independent think tank

Opportunity to ensure all children have equal access to government-funded nursery provision must be taken

Only 50% of children guaranteed two years of government-funded nursery provision

Reform Scotland, the independent non-party think-tank, is calling on members of the Scottish Parliament’s Education & Culture committee to back amendments which will end the wide variation in children’s entitlement to government-funded nursery provision.

As Reform Scotland has previously highlighted, currently only 50% of children born in Scotland are entitled to two years’ provision, while others get only 15 months.  This can also mean a difference in over £1,000 towards the cost of a partnership nursery. (See table in Notes to Editors)

Amendments to the Scottish Government’s Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill are set to be considered by the Education & Culture committee today (7 January).  During the stage 1 debate, MSPs from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all indicated that they wanted all children to be given the same basic provision.  However, the Scottish Government has indicated that it is its intention for the current variation in entitlement to remain in place.

Commenting, Alison Payne, Research Director of Reform Scotland, said:

“The Scottish Government put childcare and nursery provision at the heart of its white paper on an independent Scotland, no doubt because this is an issue of importance to many Scots.

“I am, therefore, disappointed that the Scottish Government has not yet taken the opportunity to ensure that all children in Scotland have an equal entitlement to government-funded nursery provision.

“The amendments being considered today represent a simple solution – just as all children are entitled to seven years of primary education irrespective of their date of birth, they should be entitled to a basic two years of government-funded nursery provision.  To achieve this, Reform Scotland believes that nursery provision should start at a fixed point in the year, probably in August, just as it does for school.

“Our solution would ensure that all children had a legal entitlement to two years’ government-funded nursery provision and looked-after children would receive a full additional year’s provision.  I hope the members of the Education and Culture committee will take today’s opportunity to ensure that all children in Scotland have the same basic right to nursery provision.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

    1. 1.    New figures highlighting the scale of unfairness in the legal entitlement to government-funded nursery provision.
    Child’s birthdayEntitlement to government funded nursery provision beginsTotal nursery entitlement before beginning schoolApproximate entitlement in hours, under current 475 hours per year1Approximate entitlement in hours, under 600 hours per year2Approximate financial entitlement for partnership provision under 475 hours3Approximate financial entitlement for partnership provision under 600 hours4Number   and percentage of births registered in 2012

     

    – provision starts in 20155

    		Number and percentage of births registered in 2011

     

    – provision starts in 20146

    1 Mar to 31 AugAugust/ Autumn Term2 years950 hours1,200 hours£3,100£3,91628,980

     

    50.0%

    		29,374

     

    50.1%

    1 Sept to 31 DecJanuary/ Spring Term18 months792 hours1,000 hours£2,583£3,26318,627

     

    32.2%

    		18,560

     

    31.7%

    1 Jan to 28 Feb

     

    (Assuming child starts school at 4)

    		April/

     

    Summer Term

    		15 months633 hours800 hours£2,067£2,61110,300

     

    17.8%

    		10,658

     

    18.2%

     

     

    1 We have approximated the hours based on an each of the three terms being equal, therefore 158.3 hours per term

    2 We have approximated the hours based on an each of the three terms being equal, therefore 200 hours per term

    3 The figures for partnership funding are an estimate and based on Edinburgh Council’s pre-school funding for 3 and 4 year olds of £1,550 per year/£516.65 per term: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/8809/pre-school_funding_leaflet

    4. We have used the figures from Edinburgh Council’s pre-school funding for 3 and 4 year olds of £1,550 per year/£516.65 per term for 475 hours, which works out at £3.26 per hour to estimate figures of £1,958 per year/ £652.67 per term

    5 Taken from the weekly birth registrations from the National Records of Scotland http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/general/weekly-monthly-births-death-data/weekly/index.html.

    What the table shows:

    • Only 50 per cent of children are guaranteed the legal entitlement to two full years of government-funded nursery provision.
    • According to the Growing up in Scotland research, Early Experiences of Primary School, published in 2012, just under 50 per cent of children born in January or February deferred entry for starting school in 2009.  If the deferral rate remained the same, only 59 per cent of children born in 2011 and 2012 would in practice receive the full two years, or 1,200 hours provision.  However, the children who are not deferred would receive 400 hours less than the Scottish Government’s 600 hours a year policy, or their parents will receive about £1,305 less towards a partnership nursery.

     

    1. You can download the July bulletin here and An Equal Start here.
    2. Children in Scotland has supported Reform Scotland’s calls to end birthday discrimination.  Its press release from January 2013 can be viewed here.
    3. Reform Scotland is an independent, non-party think tank that aims to set out a better way to deliver increased economic prosperity and more effective public services based on the traditional Scottish principles of limited government, diversity and personal responsibility. Further information is available at www.reformscotland.com
    4. Media enquiries to Peter Duncan 07740 469949 or peter@messagematters.co.uk or Andy Maciver 07855 261244 or andy@messagematters.co.uk