Children - as political tools.....
14 May 2013
...for the opposition and vested interests to attack the government.
...for the opposition and vested interests to attack the government.
Elizabeth Truss has brought forward some sensible reforms to childcare in this country. Nurseries and child minders who get better qualifications and training will be able to increase the number of children in their care. The ratio is to be increased from 1:4 to 1:6:.
A moderate and sensible reform in the hope that childcare costs will be reduced and therefore open up childcare options to more people.
Anyone would think that nurseries were being forced to take on more children. If any nursery or childminder does not want to take on higher staff/children ratios then they will not have to. If parents do not want to take on a child-minder or send their child to a nursery with a higher ratio then they do not have to. That is the way the market works....
Then, also, look at other countries. Ireland have a 1:6 ratio, the same as proposed in the UK. Are their child minders more capable than British ones? Are their children better behaved? Are they outcomes worse? No, of course not. Then look at France, they have a ratio of 1:8. In Germany and many other countries there is no limit at all. Has the world fallen down of their heads as a result? Of course not.
So there is no rational explanation for those complaining. It is all a storm in a political teacup, all about vested interests and a way of using children as political tools. Shame on them.
- The bigger question might be: why do we need child-care/nurseries on this scale? Successive governments (yes, New Labour played their part) have inextricably linked the education system with the workplace and schools now offer breakfast clubs from 08.00 and after-school clubs until 18.00. It will be argued that this provides opportunities for children to have a good meal to start the day, the acquisition of social skills and development of early literacy and numeracy skills as well as offering study time which the children can have free from the distractions of their homes. It could just as well be argued that it takes children away from the places they should be, their homes and families, and allows struggling parents to get to work to fulfil the demands of the economy. This is all about vested interests using children as economic tools. Shame on them.
The fragmentation of families is compounded and the work of the Hatcheries and Conditioning Centre can be given free rein!! - if its not broke don't fix it.
"Gove's claims of teenagers' ignorance harpooned by retired teacher."
"Gove said in a Mail on Sunday article in March: "Survey after survey has revealed disturbing historical ignorance, with one teenager in five believing Winston Churchill was a fictional character while 58% think Sherlock Holmes was real."
...Gove's department has admitted he cited polls originating from Premier Inn and UKTV Gold press releases."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/13/michael-goves-claim-teenagers-ignorance?INTCMP=SRCH
Q-How many children can I care for?
"In England the number of children a childminder may care for and the indoor space requirements are set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Safeguarding and Welfare requirements.
The numbers of children set out below represent the maximum number of children who may be cared for by a childminder at any one time.
Each childminder may care for:
a maximum of six children under the age of 8;
of these six children, a maximum of three may be young children*, (a child is defined as a "young child" up until 1st September following his/her 5th birthday).
no more than one child may be under the age of 1.
In all circumstances the maximum number of children under 8 being cared for must not exceed six."
The situation altered somewhat in 2012...
http://www.pacey.org.uk/childminders/become_a_childminder/childminding_ratios/ratios_in_england.aspx
"Recommended adult to child ratios when supervising children
NSPCC factsheet
April 2013...
Ratios...
The following are the adult to child ratios we would recommend for voluntary organisations:
Aged 0 - 2 years:
1 adult to 3 children
Aged 2 - 3 years:
1 adult to 4 children
Aged 4 - 8 years:
1 adult to 6 children
Aged 9 - 12 years:
1 adult to 8 children
Aged 13 - 18 years:
1 adult to 10 children.
If the group is mixed gender, the supervising staff should also include both male and female workers wherever possible.
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/briefings/adult-child-ratios_wda95200.html
I had best stop there, I wouldn't wish to you children as Political Playthings.