Patricia McGinty, one of the directors of the Scottish Independent Nurseries Association, told Nursery World she was 'not surprised' by Scottish Executive statistics which showed a 6 per cent drop in the numbers of children in pre-school places from 2004 to 2005.
Ms McGinty said she believes the current pre-school system is not flexible enough to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of parents who are returning to work.
The current scheme entitles three- and four-year-olds to 12.5 hours a week, with children usually attending morning or afternoon sessions, depending on the local authority.
Ms McGinty is calling on Government to strengthen the support it gives to the private and voluntary sectors. She said, 'The Scottish Executive should be looking at these statistics. The independent sector is offering morning to evening services. It is important this is recognised. We are looking for more support for the independent sector in Scotland in line with the type of support that England and Wales enjoy.'
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