HC Deb 08 July 1999 vol 334 cc1163-5
6. Mr. Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley)

What assessment he has made of the level of support from the voluntary sector for the early learning goals. [88969]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Ms Margaret Hodge)

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority recently published its report which analyses responses to the review of desirable learning outcomes. This shows that over 95 per cent. of respondents from across the range of sectors support the aims of the proposed early learning goals. This includes support from the voluntary sector, at 95 per cent.

Mr. Hoyle

Does my hon. Friend agree with the Ofsted report, which concluded that children do not suffer emotionally by being encouraged to achieve early learning goals, such as counting to 10 and learning the alphabet? I am sure that most parents would agree with that.

Ms Hodge

We know from the response to our consultation that most parents do agree with that. It is outrageous to suggest that children who are almost six should not be able to feel comfortable with early numbers and early literacy achievements. We will pursue those early learning goals as a way of raising standards throughout the education system.

Mr. Don Foster (Bath)

The Minister's reply notwithstanding, can she explain to the House why, despite the large positive response to which she referred, the Early Childhood Education Forum—which represents nearly every organisation involved in early-years education across the country—has described the proposals as a mess and a muddle? The forum said that the goals were far too prescriptive and that there would be an early introduction of formal education which, as evidence from other countries in Europe suggests, is the wrong approach. As an example, can the Minister explain why she believes it right to have it as a goal that children by the age of six should learn to sit still, rather than that they should be able to jump on to and off a log?

Ms Hodge

I had better engage the hon. Gentleman about falling off logs—[Interruption]—and sooner rather than later. He was with me when the Select Committee visited Switzerland, one of the countries which engages in a more structured and rigorous approach to early-years education. It is not an issue of choosing between play and learning; nor is it an issue of over-formalising education. We are attempting to ensure—I would want the hon. Gentleman's support—that children at this early stage of their development get those skills that we know are necessary for effective learning. To ensure that that happens, we need to have the structure and rigour of a foundation stage and early learning goals.

Mr. Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury and Atcham)

Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating Shrewsbury sixth form college on the development of the new learning centre at the heart of the town, which will be open to all, young and old, and which will be completed in September? What help is available from the Government for encouraging more community learning schemes?

Ms Hodge

A community learning fund will be available to colleges such as the one my hon. Friend described, from which they can get support for the sort of schemes that he would wish to make progress.

Mrs. Theresa May (Maidenhead)

The Minister cannot simply cast aside the growing concerns about the increasing formalisation of education for children at a very young age and the increasing pressure being put on them by having to go to primary school at an earlier age and by the early learning outcomes. Is she aware of the article by Dr. Cousins, an adviser to the United Nations on early-years education, who said: The growing use of 'end-product activities' and 'learning outcomes' risked switching many children off learning by the age of five"?

There is a great risk that learning through play is being cast aside, as evidenced by the closure of 1,500 pre-schools in the past two years and the expected closure of 1,700 this year. Will the Minister confirm that when she claims that hundreds of pre-schools have opened in the past year, that includes instances in which the leader of a pre-school has changed address or an existing pre-school has been taken over by a new leader? Is not this just another case of fiddling the figures?

Ms Hodge

That really takes the biscuit. The increase in the number of children going into reception classes was entirely due to the nursery voucher scheme introduced by the previous Government. I wonder whether the hon. Lady really thinks it wrong for her own children, by the time they are five, almost six, to be able to count to 10, to know the alphabet, to recognise the M on a McDonald's sign and to be able to deal with simple words. If she wants that for her own children, is it not good enough for other children? Is it not about time that Conservative Members started to show some concern for the three quarters of all four-year-olds currently experiencing their nursery education in the maintained sector?