Historically in Britain, the vital world of nursery education is often overlooked. Instead of being seen as the most vital stage in a child's personal and academic development, the nursery sector is underfunded, undervalued and undernourished - and all parents know how vital nourishment is for a young child. And so it is for British society. More money spent at the start saves far more money needing to be spent later.
With parents more and more driven to work faster and harder just to stand still, it is vital that Government recognises the work that goes on in our nursery schools, state and private, and supports those that want to do more through sustainable Government-funded policies. In the past ten years, a series of lip-service initiatives, backed up by fragile short-term funding, which led to their withdrawal, have only served to heighten the frustration of thousands of dedicated nursery staff and providers. The presence of such a large private sector at nursery level is in part a response, as it is for Montessori, to the lack of provision or alternatives by the state.
The current New Schools Network marks a change in philosophy that could revolutionise quality of education in this country. But failing to extend this to the under-fives once more sends a clear signal. Dr Montessori's view that 'the greatness of the human personality begins at the hour of birth' is instead, it seems, incorrect, in that in Great Britain it begins at age five. This is not the time to restrict new schools to the primary and secondary sector. Quite the opposite.
As in over 600 Montessori schools, the nursery sector contains within it one of the most caring and committed parts of the education workforce. More recognition, more understanding and more vision of what they contribute could see this sector make a contribution so vital to the future of our society that a New Schools Network for the over-fives would, in fact, not be needed. If our nursery sector could once more become the envy of the world, so would our entire education system. How do we achieve this? Well, like Fabio Capello, we must go back to basics and grow from the root upwards, or indeed from the hour of birth.
