Speaking at the Labour Party’s Annual Conference today (Wednesday
28 September) Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Bridget
Phillipson will announce that a Labour Government will introduce
fully funded breakfast clubs for every primary school in England.
Breakfast clubs will be the “first step on the road to a modern
childcare system”, supporting families from the end of parental
leave to the end of primary school.
Phillipson will set out the plans as the centrepiece of Labour’s
ambition “to build a future where children come first”, placing
families at the heart of the party’s drive to deliver the
jobs and growth of the future.
Labour’s intervention comes as the spiralling cost of childcare
under the Conservatives, in addition to rising food, fuel and
housing costs, is increasingly forcing growing numbers of parents
out of work and see more children missing out on additional
learning, and enriching activities.
The Shadow Education Secretary will say that Labour’s plan will
enable parents to work as well as strengthening children’s
development, driving up standards in reading, writing and maths,
contrasting this with the Conservatives’ failure to close the
education attainment gap and support parents with young children
to continue working the jobs and hours they choose.
The “landmark” new approach to childcare will be funded from the
revenues raised by restoring the 45 pence income tax rate for the
very richest individuals.
Phillipson will also pledge to build the most ambitious school
improvement programme for a generation to help children excel in
sciences and maths, widening access to arts, music and drama and
building a modern careers advice and work experience system paid
for by ending tax breaks for private schools.
The Shadow Education Secretary will tell conference that “life
should not come down to luck”, drawing on her own story of
growing up in a single parent family “where education was
encouraged”, but under the Conservatives, “classes were too big,
books too few, money short and opportunities rare.”
Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary will
say:
“The evidence couldn’t be clearer: gaps in learning development,
gaps in opportunities, open up early, so our solutions must start
early too.
“We need a fresh vision of that education. One that looks to the
future, not the past.
“Labour will build a modern childcare system. One that supports
families from the end of parental leave through to the end of
primary school.
“As the first step on that road, we will introduce breakfast
clubs for every primary school child in England, driving up
standards in maths, reading, and writing, and giving mams and
dads choices.
Ends
Notes
- Labour will provide a universal offer of free breakfast clubs
for every primary school child in England, funded by the revenues
raised by restoring the top rate of income tax to 45 pence.
Impact of childcare on women’s ability to work various
evidence points
- Latest 2022 figures show that the number of women age 16 – 64
staying home to look after the family/home is on the rise, at 1.7
million in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 1.6 million in
the first quarter in 2021.
Source: ONS (2022) LFS: Econ. inactivity
reasons: Looking after family/home: UK: female:% - Office for
National Statistics
- The DfE’s latest survey of parents views in relation to
childcare found that found that 60% of non-working mothers would
prefer to work if they could arrange good quality, reliable and
affordable childcare.
Source: Childcare and early years
survey of parents: 2019 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Pregnant then Screwed/Mumsnet survey of nearly 30,000
parents, found
- 43% of mums said that the cost of childcare has made them
consider leaving their job and
- 40% said they have had to work fewer hours than they would
like because of childcare costs rising to over half of
households with an income of under £50,000
Source: Press Release - 1 in 4
parents have had to cut down on heat, food & clothing to pay
for childcare - Pregnant Then Screwed
- A 2017 survey of parents found that among those currently
using breakfast clubs over a quarter (27%) said that one parent
would have to give-up work without this support. A quarter of
parents working in ‘top level’ professional roles reported that
they needed breakfast clubs to help juggle childcare, with nearly
a third of public sector managers and office workers using the
clubs in order to get to work on time.
Source: https://www.kelloggs.co.uk/en_GB/press-release/school-breakfast-clubs.html
- Women’s Budget Group and others have estimated that 1.7
million women are prevented from working the hours they choose
due to the cost and pressures of childcare. They estimate this is
leading to up to £28.2bn of lost economic output every year.
Further finding that women’s earning could be increased by an
estimated £7.6 – £10.9bn if they had access to flexible childcare
enabling them to have control over their working patterns.
Source: https://wbg.org.uk/analysis/autumn-budget-2021-childcare-gender-and-covid/
