§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the report of the committee of inquiry into the educational experience which should be offered to three and four-year-olds; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarMy right hon. and learned Friend is today publishing the report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. It treats the range of factors affecting the quality of provision carefully and helpfully. My right hon. and learned Friend and I are very grateful to our hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Angela Rumbold) and the members of her committee for this valuable contribution to the development of thinking about education before the age of five.
The report comes at a time of significantly increased financial provision for the education of the under-fives. In real terms, LEA expenditure on the under-fives is almost half as high again as it was a decade ago; and the proportion of under-fives in education has increased by over 17 per cent. at a time when the birth rate has been rising.
Against this background of growing participation, the Government believe that the existing diversity of provision for the under-fives, involving the private, voluntary and local authority sectors, is healthy and should be encouraged. Good-quality provision can make a valuable contribution to young children's development. The Government consider that parents are the best judges of their children's needs: some will prefer to make provision in the home for constructive play and early learning activities; some will look to playgroups; and others will seek nursery or infant classes or day nurseries. We are sending copies of the report to all local education and social services authorities; it will be for them to consider how the report should be acted on in their areas, but we hope that it will be carefully studied by local authorities and by all those working in the field.
This Department is working closely with the Department of Health to ensure that within the diversity of provision, there is a clear framework for local action on services for pre-school children; my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State announced the introduction of an education support grant for 1991–92 and the succeeding year to help authorities improve the planning and co-ordination of services for the under-fives, and my right 275W hon. and learned Friend has recently announced a significant enhancement of my Department's grants to the Pre-school Playgroups Association and to the British Association for Early Childhood Education.
Financial Year £ thousands Education and Library Board 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 Belfast Number of advisers 7 6 6 5 8 Cost 158 154 161 144 233 North-Eastern Number of advisers 14 14 10 9 14 Cost 309 352 270 261 384 South-Eastern Number of advisers 8 8 7 7 12 Cost 202 205 205 202 381 Southern Number of advisers 1 2 2 3 12 Cost 23 48 53 70 371 Western Number of advisers 5 5 5 5 12 Cost 98 113 131 137 288