Hughes said the guidance will help raise standards and providehigh-quality and consistent early years education and care. But herConservative opposite number Anne McIntosh criticised her formalapproach to learning for under-fives. Branding the guidance as"inappropriate", she said: "We should allow children to have theirchildhood and let professionals do their jobs."
Liberal Democrat children's spokeswoman Annette Brooke added: "We risksquashing children's creativity and turning them off learning."
The statutory guidance, to be implemented by all providers by September2008, outlines a series of targets for children to work towards and beassessed against. It includes examples of how to translate these intopractice (Children Now, 14-20 March).
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nur-seriesAssociation, said: "The framework is comprehensive. But it will beimportant that inspectors get the right training and support so theyavoid a tick-box culture."
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