A little more than half of the early years workforce is employed part-time, and 98 per cent of the hours were worked by female staff members. The average full-time equivalent child-to-staff ratio was 5:5.
The 2002 Pre-school and Daycare Census, carried out at the end of January 2002, identified more than 4,100 centres offering pre-school education or daycare. Just over half the centres described themselves as nurseries, a further 26 per cent as playgroups and 11 per cent as out-of-school care, with the remainder including play-schemes and creches.
The 2002 results were remarkably similar to the 2001 results, especially given that the Executive believes it over-estimated the total number of daycare centres last year, putting it at more than 4,300. The previous census also found that nearly 99,000 three-to five-year-olds were attending centres providing pre-school education in January 2001, and as in 2002, almost three-quarters were in local authority pre-school provision.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here