84% of Britons believe that the government should ensure everyone has access to early education
By Rachel Lawler
A majority of British people believe that the government should provide funding for a range of services – including early years education – according to a new report by the Fairness Foundation.
The report found that most people now believe that the government should provide services, with 84% of survey respondents agreeing that the government should pay for early years provision.
Other areas with high levels of support for government funding include social care (84%), public transport (81%) and housing (77%).
Survey respondents were found to support government funding for these services regardless of their political views, incomes, ages or genders.
When asked to prioritise areas which should be funded, if there were limits to what the government could fund, early years education came second to only social care.
Investment into society
Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Alliance, said: “We have always argued that investment into the early years should be seen as an investment into society, and so we warmly welcome the fact that such a large majority of the general public agree that it is the government's responsibility to ensure equal access to early years services in this country.
“All too often, people ask ‘Why should I pay for someone else’s child to be looked after?' – but early years provision is so much more than ‘looking after’ young children. Not only does it provide the care that parents need to work and contribute to our economy; it also provides the quality early education needed to ensure that all children, regardless of background, get the best possible start in life.
"As conversations around early years provision, and the role of government, continue, it is vital that this focus on quality isn't lost."