ATL COMMENT ON EXTENDING FREE EDUCATION FOR 3 & 4 YEAR OLDS

7 November 2007

Nansi Ellis, acting head of education policy at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: 

“Although we support extending free education for three and four year olds, we are concerned about the impact of these changes on school nursery classes.

“The Government should heed the findings of its 20 pathfinder projects which are only half way through the trial.  It would be a mistake to make changes which result in children getting ferried between a variety of different nursery places (nursery schools, school nursery classes, child-minders) during the week or lead to cuts in the amount of foundation stage learning provided by qualified early years teachers, as both would be detrimental to children’s learning.”