EYFS would be scrapped by Lib Dems

Change that Works for you - Building a Fairer Britain follows the launch of both the Conservative and Labour party manifestos.

It pledges to reduce the size of the Department of Children, Schools and Families and establish an independent Educational Standards Authority (ESA) that would replace Ofsted and oversee the examinations system and curriculum.

Further proposals include introducing Special Educational Needs diagnostic assessments for all five year- olds in England, and funding 15,000 new places for students on foundation degree courses.

The manifesto reiterates previous pledges made by the Liberal Democrats, such as extending the free nursery entitlement to 20 hours per week for every child aged over 18 months and introducing up to 19 months of shared paid parental leave.

Conservatives

The Conservative manifesto, Invitation to join the Government of Britain, sets out plans to allow public sector workers to run their own Sure Start centres focusing on the neediest families and with funding based on outcomes, as well as employing 4,200 more Sure Start health visitors and bringing all funding for early intervention and parenting support into one budget overseen by an Early Years Support Team.

The Tories also propose to extend the right to request flexible working to parents with a child under 18 years of age, and to introduce tax breaks to married couples and those in civil partnerships (news, 27 January).

Labour

Labour’s manifesto, A Future for all, pledges to expand the number of free childcare places for two year olds, to give parents more flexibility over how they use the free entitlement by giving them the option to carry over unused hours from one year to another, and to give parents more choice over when children start school.

Labour said they would introduce a Toddler Tax Credit of £4 a week for all parents of young children from 2012 (news, 24 March) and extend paternity leave from two to four weeks.

Fathers’ rights

Rob Williams, chief executive of the Fatherhood Institute, said, ‘Labour’s plans to extend paternity leave to four weeks is a welcome step. We know that fathers who take leave are more likely to get involved in caring for their children throughout their childhood.  But not all fathers will be able to take this leave.  It is paid at a low rate, which means that for many families it will not make financial sense for the father to take time off. It needs to be paid at 90 per cent of the father's salary - just as the first 6 weeks are for mothers.’