‘Nationalising’ and Transforming the Public Funding of Early Years Education (and care) in England 1996–2017

ABSTRACT

The public funding of early years education and care in England has been transformed. Historically, local councils had the main responsibility for decisions regarding nursery education and child day care, but in 1996 the Conservative government introduced a nursery education voucher scheme. Parents of four-year-olds could exchange the voucher for three terms of part-time ‘preschool provision’ in a state maintained nursery or primary school, or in a private, voluntary or independent (PVI) provider of child day care; in 1998, the Labour government replaced the voucher with an entitlement to free part-time ‘early education’. The entitlement was expanded progressively and in 2017 the Conservative government introduced 30 h per week free ‘childcare’ for some children, together with an Early Years National Funding Formula. Funding goals and policy have shifted over time, underpinned by the idea of ‘a level playing field’ between providers in maintained and PVI sectors. However, there is no statutory requirement for PVI settings to employ qualified teachers, militating against a genuine ‘level playing field’ and the integration of education and care.

Keywords:

• nursery education
• early childhood education and care (ECEC)
• public funding
• central government
• local government

8. Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation. The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the article.

9. Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 TNA ED 142/56. Circular 221/45 (MoH) 75 (MoE) Nursery provision for children under five, 14 December 1945.

2 HC Speech 19 February 1973.http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/102256.

3 HC Deb 3 June 1980 vol 985 cc1238-9.http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1980/jun/03/day-nurseries.

4 HC Deb 25 June 1997 col 788.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970625/debtext/70625-08.htm.

5 HC Deb. 6 July 1995 col 517–519.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199495/cmhansrd/1995-07-06/Debate-1.html.

6 HC Deb. 6 July 1995 col 519–523.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199495/cmhansrd/1995-07-06/Debate-1.html.

7 HC Deb. 6 July 1995 col 519.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199495/cmhansrd/1995-07-06/Debate-1.html.

8 HC Deb. 16 June 1997 vol 296, cc50-1W.https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1997/jun/16/nursery-education.

9 HC Deb. 14 February 2006 col 1936W.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo060214/text/60214w37.htm.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.