Historically in Britain, the vital world of nursery education is often overlooked. Instead of being seen as the most vital stage in a child's personal and academic development, the nursery sector is underfunded, undervalued and undernourished - and all parents know how vital nourishment is for a young child. And so it is for British society. More money spent at the start saves far more money needing to be spent later.
With parents more and more driven to work faster and harder just to stand still, it is vital that Government recognises the work that goes on in our nursery schools, state and private, and supports those that want to do more through sustainable Government-funded policies. In the past ten years, a series of lip-service initiatives, backed up by fragile short-term funding, which led to their withdrawal, have only served to heighten the frustration of thousands of dedicated nursery staff and providers. The presence of such a large private sector at nursery level is in part a response, as it is for Montessori, to the lack of provision or alternatives by the state.
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