The government must step up to give early years pupils the best start in life

I read with interest your report on recent research from the Department for Education and Durham University on the importance of the early years to the future earnings of children in England (Good early years teaching may boost earnings of children in England – study, 26 January).

As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for childcare and early education, and as the husband of an early years practitioner, I know that we only have one chance to give all children the best possible start in life. It is encouraging to see the Department for Education taking this seriously, but more must be done to ensure the infrastructure is there to deliver it, starting with funding.

Research by Prof John Heckman shows that investment in the earliest years pays dividends for children, families and society, with every pound spent before the age of five delivering a 13% return on investment in the future. However, Ofsted’s latest figures have shown that there has been a consistent reduction in the number of early education and childcare providers in England.

Providers are facing huge pressures to continue to deliver outstanding quality to our children, and yet those in the private, voluntary and independent sector continue to receive next to no support from central government.

The overwhelming message I hear from parents and practitioners in the sector is that our early years provision is in crisis. The all-party parliamentary group is continuing to call for a review of childcare in England, and looks forward to hearing the findings of the education committee’s current inquiry into the early years sector as a starting point. It is clear that, if the government does not step up, we will see the impact of nursery closures and lost hours of learning on children for decades to come, negatively affecting life chances and opportunities for children across the UK.
Steve Brine MP
Conservative, Winchester