Leading experts sign up to petition against ratios

The petition has now gathered more than 25,000 signatures, along with other petitions from the Childminding Forum, which has similar numbers, and a petition from the Pre-School Learning Alliance for parents, which had 11,000 signatories in 48 hours.

Strong words from across the sector

Colwyn Trevarthen
'I am a retired professor of child psychology. I know how important intimate, relaxed and consistent companions are for young children. There should be no increase in the number of children per childcarer.'

Celia Burgess, ex Ofsted
'I have spent all my professional life with young children, inspecting early years settings and with training teachers of young children at Goldsmiths and at the Institute of Education. This change to the child:adult ratios goes against all the research evidence about the importance of attachment with caring known adults and one-to-one interaction, care and love. The more very young children a carer has to look after the less quality attention those children will receive.'


Gill Haynes, former chief executive, NCMA
'This Government appears to have given up on the principle that "a child's welfare is paramount".'


Lydia Keyte
'I am a trustee of a national charity What About The Children? which for the past 20 years has worked to raise awareness about the importance of a child's first three years and the importance of secure attachment. Scientific research confirms that the first 30 to 36 months are a critical period for the developing brain. Increasing adult:child ratios in daycare creates an environment in which the adult is not able to provide the responsive loving care a child under 36 months needs for optimum brain development.'


Andrew Clifford, managing director, First Class Childcare
'The very idea that a qualification means you can still provide the same quality to twice as many children is at best misguided and at worst fails in our duty to these children.'


Mary Dickins, early years lecturer and author
'I am concerned about all children but particularly concerned about disabled children and those with other forms of special educational need for whom ratios are a crucial factor.'


Sue Meekings, director of childcare
'I am signing on behalf of the circa 900 strong workforce at The Childcare Corporation. This proposal undermines the very quality we and other early years providers are aiming for. The proposal is ill-concieved, ill-thought out and likely to be detrimental to the youngest members of our community.'


Shirley Mearing
'As a mental health professional, I see many children and young people who are effected emotionally and mentally because of their fight to be seen and have attention. We should not be developing a childcare system for our children where their early and crucial developmental years are spent struggling for attention and always waiting in line.'


Jools Page, Sheffield
'I am an academic who has been researching, teaching and working in the field of Early Childhood Education. To increase the child to adult ratios undermines the role of childcare professionals and more importantly overlooks the holistic needs of babies and young children.'


Helen Lawrence
'As a retired teacher and Ofsted inspector as well as a parent and grandparent, I cannot emphasise too strongly the crucial importance of early years care and education. Please take notice of this campaign!'


Helen Moylett, president of Early Education and principal consultant with Early Learning Consultancy
'All babies and young children need emotional and physical safety in the context of warm loving relationships. For some children the early years setting is a safe haven. They, more than anyone, need people who have time to really care and support children's learning and development. Relaxing ratios is a step in the wrong direction. However well qualified someone is, they only have one pair of hands, one pair of eyes, one pair of loving arms.'


Neil Leitch, CEO, Pre-school Learning Alliance
'In a recent survey of 600 members representing over 1,000 settings, 94 per cent stated the quality of childcare would be compromised if there was a relaxation in adult to child ratios. Given that labour costs represent approximately 70 per cent of overall expenditure, you would have thought providers would have openly welcomed the opportunity to reduce expenditure! Despite almost universal rejection of these proposals by those who know best, it appears the voice of the sector continues to be ignored.'


Melian Mansfield, Chair ECEF at National Children's Bureau
'Reducing the ratio of adults to children will adversely affect any provision particularly for the most vulnerable children.'


Purnima Tanuku CEO NDNA
'Strong adult:child interactions are vital for good child development. Even with higher qualifications, staff will struggle to give larger groups of under-threes the individual attention and practical care they need.'

To sign up to the petition, visit: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/department-for-education-drop-plans-to-increase-child-to-adult-ratios