David Willetts, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universitiesand Skills, may have given the early years sector a measure ofencouragement with some elements of his speech at the Daycare Trustconference last week (News, page 4).
He promised backing from a Conservative Government for Sure Start,although not without significant changes. Perhaps more surprisingly,while his scripted speech did not mention the Early Years FoundationStage, he responded to an audience question with support for theprinciple of the framework.
This new, sympathetic stance may be born more of practicality thanideology. Despite all the Tories' criticisms of the EYFS andpronouncements that the early years has been 'over-educationalised', theramifications and complications of dismantling the EYFS may just haveseemed too great after close examination.
Whatever the rationale, a landscape that includes a future for the EYFSand Sure Start provides the early years sector with a much better chanceof positively influencing Government policy in the event of aConservative election victory.
David Willetts also has a great interest in intergenerational practice -a theme in this week's Nursery World (see In My View, this page, andEquality and Diversity part 3: Age, centre pull-out). He has written abook to be published early next year. Speaking informally after theconference, he illustrated his interest by explaining that he muchpreferred 'The Simpsons' to 'Friends' because the former featuredcharacters of all ages. Hard though it may be to imagine Willettswatching 'Friends', or indeed 'The Simpsons', this emphasis on breakingdown barriers between generations may also find favour.
