Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Extra nursery time for pupils deferring P1 start
Funding agreed for additional year of early learning
Younger pupils making a deferred start at primary school will be automatically entitled to funding for an additional year at nursery from 2023 under new Scottish Government legislation.
Coatbridge representative Fulton Macgregor MSP, who has supported campaign group Give Them Time on the issue, welcomed the “landmark” new policy and said: “Parents know what is right for their children.”
Its introduction comes a year after North Lanarkshire Council was criticised for U-turning on a prior agreement to fund continued nursery places for all deferred four-year-olds on cost grounds.
All pupils who have not turned five by the time the school year begins can currently have their P1 start delayed for 12 months – but only the youngest children in each intake, with birthdays in January and February, are guaranteed an additional year of funded early learning.
Now that right will be extended to every four-yearold deferring their school start from August 2023 under the new legislation.
Mr Macgregor said the new law “comes after a longfought campaign to mitigate the exclusion of children who cannot defer due to childcare costs” and told the Advertiser: “This is an issue I’ve been campaigning on for many years; I feel so passionately about it, having young sons myself.
“I’ve had friends who were unable to defer their children due to a lack of funding, and there is ample evidence to suggest that deferment certainly isn’t a bad thing – parents know what is right for their children and with this legislation they will now be given the option.
“When Give Them Time got in touch with me early in my parliamentary term, I knew this was something I had to get behind.
“They’ve done an admirable amount of relentless campaigning and should be proud of what they’ve achieved.”
Automatic funding will be piloted in five council areas across Scotland from August and then rolled out across the country in 2023.
Give Them Time said: “We’re delighted for families in these areas who can breathe a sigh of relief, but we’re disappointed not to see any councils in the list which have had poor records of funding such requests over the past two years.
“We want to know why these councils were chosen above those with poorer records of funding, and we want to see all local authorities permit parents to self-fund a continued space in a council nursery when the [authority] refuses discretionary funding. The postcode lottery of discretionary deferral funding is ultimately forcing some parents to send their child to school despite feeling concerned about their ability to cope – we’re elated that the legislation will be brought in [but] need immediate and full implementation in every local authority at the same time.
“We require it to be implemented fairly and as soon as possible to help all parents, especially those who cannot afford to defer if their council refuses funding; any legislation impacting on children must not be determined by where they live or their parents’ income.”
Children’s minister Maree Todd said the pilot year “will allow us to better understand the likely uptake of the extra year of funded childcare and help local authorities plan accordingly”.
A joint statement from the Scottish Government and council organisation COSLA said: “This change will align funded early learning and childcare more closely with the existing right to defer [and] allow families to make decisions based on what they feel is in the best interests of the child, without the financial barrier.
“Removing local authority discretion over funding is likely to lead to an increase in the number of children each year with a statutory entitlement to funded places – the scale will depend on individual decisions and it’s difficult to predict the extent and speed of parental response.
“Local authorities will support a phased implementation of the obligation during the 2021 to 2023; the future cost of full implementation of the obligation across Scotland will be taken account of in the ongoing revenue funding from April 2022.”
The statement, from Ms Todd and COSLA children’s spokesperson Councillor Stephen Mccabe, adds: “It is essential that we work together with Education Scotland and parents to better understand the overall impact of an increase in the number of four and five-year-olds within early learning and childcare settings, and a wider age range in P1.
“Our commitment to extend two-year-old eligibility will also potentially impact on capacity available in individual settings; with more children remaining in early learning for an additional year, there is a potential to constrain availability of places in some settings for new children, impacting on choice for families.”
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “We will work to ensure that any new legislation relating to primary school deferment is implemented, in line with our statutory obligations.”