Education is not child-minding

The current debate about childcare is becoming rather confusing. With the issue widely tipped to be one of the key issues in the election, there is quite a frantic rush for the high ground on the question.

The confusion is between childcare, early education, and a latent debate about "working" and "stay-at-home" parents. The Labour Party document "Putting Children First", encapsulates what everyone says about the debate - that the welfare of children is paramount. But what are the underlying principles that should govern how our children spend their early years?

First, it is fairly well established that those children who are in creches, or with minders etc, are at no disadvantage to those who are at home full time with a parent. Parents do therefore have a theoretical choice as to whether one should stay at home with the children or remain in the workforce. Principles of equality also lead to the conclusion that either option is a valid choice for parents.

Now, the second question arises. Many parents do not have a genuine choice because they can't afford for one of them to leave work. For single parents, it is even harder. Affluent couples have a genuine choice, can afford the creche and can afford to forego one income. The State should therefore take a neutral view of which option parents take. That does not mean that parents should be fully compensated for whichever option they take, but clearly means that equivalent supports should be available to stay-at-home parents and parents in the workforce. It means that parents who wish to stay at home but can't should be subsidised to a point where the option becomes viable. Of course, the affordability question is always moot. Are a couple living a comfortable lifestyle with two cars, etc genuinely unable to afford to forego one income?

The issues of childcare and education become blurred as children get older. Here, some questions need to be addressed. Pre-school education is proven to be very important to children's subsequent success in the formal school system. Approaches such as "Head Start" and "Early Start" in the UK and USA have proven successful in targetting pre-school education in marginalised communities. Direct provision of pre-school education with a particular emphasis on disadvantage is vital to helping children succeed in mainstream education. Therefore commitments to pre-school education are most welcome, particularly when targetted on areas where they are most needed.

However, the childcare issue is a social one about how society responds to and supports families and children. Pre-school education, and after-school activities are education issues. The reason the two issues must be kept separate is that education of any kind should be facilitated and encouraged on its merits, not in response to the economic choices or necessities of parents.

It is entirely right that a holistic approach to children be taken, and that includes a full "early years" package as referred to the Labour Party document. But education must be seen as education, and not as child-minding. See Labour's policy document here.