无码天堂

By Rachel Lawler

New research from the suggests that free early education disproportionately benefits children from higher income families.

 

The research found that around one third of children from low-income families delay taking up their funded early education place. Just one sixth of children from higher-income families do the same.

 

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the researchers examined the National Pupil Database and asked whether children using a funded place in January 2011 had started attending when they were first eligible or not. Just over 18% said that they delayed taking up the funded place.

 

Children who claim free school meals in early primary school were 13% less likely to attend their funded place for five fill terms than their peers from higher-income families.

 

Children who speak English as an additional language are three times less likely to take up five terms of early education as those who speak English at home.

 

The researchers鈥� paper,, says: 鈥淲ith over 拢2,000 now allocated annually to each eligible child, these places have become the central initiative aimed at creating a more equitable start for children in England.

 

鈥淭his is especially true given the squeeze since 2010 on funding for other early childhood initiatives, including Sure Start children鈥檚 centres, as well as reductions in cash benefits for families with young children.鈥�

 

The paper also argues that recent policy changes are reinforcing these trends. It says: 鈥淭he new extension of the free entitlement to 30 hours applies to children of working parents only, while age eligibility follows the same rules as the 15 hours.鈥�

 

Dr Tammy Campbell, author of the report, commented: 鈥淭he families who are benefitting most from the policy are those who are already advantaged in many ways 鈥� while low income children miss out.鈥�

 

She added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for a clear and transparent reassessment of the purpose of funding for the pre-school stage 鈥� looking properly at which children win under the current system, and who misses out.鈥�

 

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the 无码天堂, said: 鈥淒espite the government continuing to stress the need to improve social mobility, here we have yet more evidence that the so-called free entitlement schemes in this country disproportionately benefit more well-off families.

 

鈥淚f ministers are genuinely committed to closing the gap between more disadvantaged children and their peers, then they need to look again at 鈥榝ree鈥� childcare and ensure both that the scheme is properly funded, now and in the future, and that those families who would benefit most from increased access to quality childcare aren鈥檛 missing out.鈥�