TYNWALD will decide today (Tuesday) whether Education and Children Minister Peter Karran MHK can press ahead with his plans to privatise the department’s nurseries and introduce a credit scheme to help parents pay for their children’s nursery education.
Speaker of the House of Keys Steve Rodan MHK has tabled a motion which states: ‘Tynwald acknowledges the value of teacher-led pre-school education and calls upon the Council of Ministers to develop a strategy for its provision on a universal and equitable basis following public consultation, and to report to Tynwald no later than July 2012.’
On the eve of the debate, mother of four Amy Burns, who has been campaigning to stop the nurseries’ closure since the announcement was made in February, has spoken out on what she sees as the problems with the current plans, as well as alternative proposals put forward.
Speaking on behalf of her campaign – a Facebook group she set up has more than 2,000 members and her ongoing petition has 6,900 signatures – Amy said the proposed credit system was flawed.
It provides that all parents of nursery-age children will receive £350 towards their costs, regardless of income, while those who currently would qualify for free school meals would be entitled to a credit of £1,150.
The DEC has estimated that the cost of five half-day sessions per week is likely to be a minimum of £2,000.
Amy said it would impact on families who fell just short of the criteria for free school meals, saying: ‘They will either suffer by not being able to contribute to any kind of care or be encouraged to give up work and start claiming benefits costing the economy more.
‘Private nursery provision is subject to market forces and a quick survey of current sessions offered show a huge geographic difference between areas on the island of up to £10 per three- hour session.
‘This will result in people in one area paying more or less than someone elsewhere for the same service.’
Mr Karran has said the new system would mark an end to ‘postcode lottery’ by making it universally available.
But Amy said: ‘Areas where there is no provision under the current system will not see any new places in their area as the proposal does not provide any additional places anywhere.’
And she said she believed the government had ‘created a social status lottery as well as widening the postcode lottery’ by privatising the pre-schools.
‘At present while not covering all children, 470 are educated five days a week for 2.5 hours,’ she said.
‘For a vulnerable child, this provides a daily contact with stimulation and attention often not found at home in the appropriate manner.
‘For the vulnerable child from a family that cannot afford to supplement the credit scheme either at the universal or the benefits-led level, the contact and support that child will have has been reduced between 50 and 70 per cent if they are in fact attending a pre-school.’
She said that children of parents who would only be able to afford one session per week would not be able to receive ‘meaningful education’ and she said there would be less interaction with them, so it was less likely that any ‘issues’ would be picked up on.
And while happy for taxpayers’ money to be spent on pre-school education, she said she objected to it being used to subsidise childcare.
The DEC will not be stipulating that providers employ a teacher.
The DEC has said that providers will be expected to plan in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance and will be encouraged to join the Early Years Quality Award Scheme.
But Amy said she still had concerns over the quality of service that would be provided, saying there was no guarantee the right criteria would be followed.
On the funding side, Amy questioned how the DEC would fund the administration of the credit scheme.
And with census figures showing a rise in the number of children, she questioned how the department would continue to fund the credit scheme in the future.
Amy said that she was in favour of an alternative proposal put forward but rejected by the DEC, which would keep pre-schools under the department and teacher-led.
She said that it would protect the vulnerable, as well as catering for children living in areas with no department provision.
It would see parents of nursery children not entitled to free school meals paying £38.20 per week, raising more than £700,000 in the process.
The Department of Social Care would contribute 70 per cent of costs for families receiving free school meals.
The rest of the money would come from the £400,000 that has been allocated to the department.
Amy said that this proposal would also provide for a £500 voucher scheme for each child in areas with no pre-school provision.
Meanwhile, Amy believes universal provision could be provided by the department by using spare classrooms at Rushen School, extending provision in other schools, and using Bride School, which is earmarked for closure.
She said that to allow for this, and looking after families on free school meals being entitled to 70 per cent of help from the DSC, would cost £1.65m.
It could be funded with 400,000 from the DEC and charging parents £40.25 per week.
Meanwhile, government critic James Corrin wrote to Tynwald members after an advert appeared in last week’s Manx Independent inviting expressions of interest in leasing one of the 11 facilities.
He said: ‘I consider that the DEC is jumping the gun here considering that the Honourable Steve Rodan MHK is putting a motion to the next Tynwald session.
‘I respectfully ask that you do all within your power to stop the DEC – please come off the fence and put your beliefs before your obligations as departmental members.’
The department is inviting expressions of interest for sessional care at Cronk-y-Berry, Manor Park, Ballacottier, Auldyn and St John’s schools.
And it is inviting expressions of interest for day care or sessional care at Jurby, Willaston, Ashley Hill, Ballasalla, Victoria Road, Bride and Peel Clothworkers’ schools.