Many Government initiatives have not been in place long enough for such sweeping judgements - only about a third of the planned children's centres have even opened their doors, for example. Governments must be accountable for big spending, but progress should not be jeopardised by premature conclusions.
Ironically, it may be that the level of spending is too low to enable fast progress in children's achievement. While £21 billion sounds like - is - an awful lot of money, sector experts have doubts that there is enough to provide the quality that is needed for a truly world-class service.
This week's issue of Nursery World is packed with fascinating features to help you offer top-quality provision. Our four-page pull-out has expert advice and ideas for making the most of den-building to enhance children's experiences and development (pages 15-18). Building is also the theme for this month's Tried and Tested equipment round-up on construction sets (pages 12-13), with early years settings giving their ratings.
