The Education Committee has today
launched an inquiry into
the impact that the early years of a child's life have on their
life chances.
The Committee’s inquiry aims to understand the impact that early
years education and social policy have on determining children’s
life chances. The Committee will examine the Government’s current
policies in these areas and make recommendations to promote
social justice. The inquiry will focus on early years educational
settings but will also consider the role of other services,
including health services and services provided by the Department
for Work and Pensions.
Launching the inquiry, Rt Hon , Chair of the Education
Committee, said: “The first few years of a child’s
life are crucial in determining their future success. Research
indicates that children who start school with poor language
skills are six times more likely to struggle with reading, and 11
times more likely to struggle with maths, at the age of 11. While
home and family life are the biggest influence on a child’s
language and skills development in their early years, high
quality early years education can have a major impact in helping
even the most disadvantaged children to compete with their
better-off peers.
“Inequalities in children’s life chances sadly often depend
on where they live. In this postcode lottery, some children will
benefit from schools and health and support services who
co-ordinate their work effectively and help to deliver great
results. Unfortunately, in other areas this won’t be the case and
children will not get the support they deserve. The Education
Committee is dedicated to promoting social justice and ensuring
that all children have the best life chances must be a vital part
of this objective. As a Committee we are determined that our
inquiry will recommend practical proposals to ensure that all
children have the chance to reach and climb the ladder of
opportunity and succeed in their lives ahead”.
In this inquiry the Committee will examine the role of early
years education in determining life chances. The inquiry will
also explore the prevention and early intervention support which
is available to parents and families to help deliver better
outcomes for their children, and the importance of communication
skills and language development.
Life chances—call for written submissions
The Committee invites written
evidence on:
- The role of
quality early years education in determining life chances and
promoting social justice;
- The
importance of support for parents and families, and integration
with other services, in prevention and early intervention; and
- The
importance of communication skills and language development.
The deadline for submissions is 1 June 2018
Editor’s Notes
Background
This inquiry follows up on an oral evidence session held by the
Education and Work & Pensions Committees
on Foundation years and the UK Government’s life chances
strategy in July 2016.
A child’s first few years of life are widely acknowledged to be a
powerful determinant for their likelihood to achieve in education
and their subsequent career. According to research, children who start school
with poor language skills are six times more likely to struggle
with reading, and 11 times more likely to struggle with maths, at
the age of 11. Children born into
deprivation, boys and children living in rural
or coastal areas are significantly more likely to have
limited life chances.
