Nursery World - Pre-school spending debated

Government spending in the UK on pre-school education is almost double that of any other country in the developed world, a report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) claimed last week. In the report, Education at a Glance 2005, the OECD says the UK's pre-primary spending was 'remarkable', but some early education experts dispute the figures.

In the report, Education at a Glance 2005, the OECD says the UK's pre-primary spending was 'remarkable', but some early education experts dispute the figures.

The report puts current spending on three- and four-year-olds in the UK at $8,452 (4,689) per child - almost twice the OECD average of $4,294 (2,382).

The study compares pre-primary expenditure in 30 OECD countries (see box).

The United States is ranked second with an expenditure of $7,881 (4,372) per child.

But many European countries, including the Scandinavians, are ranked far below the UK. The report claims Italy and Denmark spend $3,000 (1,664) less per child than the UK, while Sweden spends less than the OECD average - just $4,107 (2,278) per child.

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