Gove confirms free childcare entitlement
Janaki Mahadevan
Monday, June 7, 2010
Education Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed that the free entitlement to childcare for all three- and four-year-olds will continue and increase to 15 hours, but free school meal pilots will not be expanded as planned under Labour.
Responding to concerns set out in a letter from former Children's Secretary Ed Balls, Gove also confirmed the new government would support plans to extend free childcare to the 20,000 most disadvantaged two-year-olds.
But he said he would not back additional free school meal pilots or the expansion of the programme into primary schools although he would continue to examine the current pilots, and consider whether they should be expanded in the future.
On his decision to stop the expansion of the free school meal pilots, Gove wrote: "I am sympathetic to the arguments for extending eligibility – though surprised that a decision to do so was taken before any evidence on the impact on attainment could be collected from pilots."
Gove also renewed assurances that frontline spending on schools and children's centres would be protected despite the government starting a programme of cuts this year.
He confirmed that educational maintenance allowance would be paid in full to students this year and that schools will receive money to continue with the Every Child literacy and numeracy programmes.
But £25m will be cut from the extended schools budget, because 98 per cent of schools now offer extended services and £13.2m will be cut from the budget dedicated to supporting the delivery of diplomas.
Ending pilot schemes including the last government's Activity Agreement and Entry to Learning initiatives will contribute to a further £2.7m savings.
An additional £8m cuts will be made by cancelling the last round of grants to the Youth Sector Development Fund.
Writing to Gove earlier this month, Balls had asked him to set out details of the planned £311m cuts that would affect the local-area-based grant, calling on Gove to ensure cuts would not impact upon positive activities for young people, funding for children in care, programmes tackling teenage pregnancy or Connexions services.
Gove said the Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles would announce details of local grant cuts shortly.
