Children starting nursery ‘still in nappies’ – claim
CHILDREN in Cardiff are starting nursery school while still wearing nappies and unable to hold a cup, councillors have claimed.
Conservatives on Cardiff council had called for a debate on child poverty, with a motion which says a “significant number” of children in the capital are starting education with limited language, social and personal care skills.
The call, proposed by councillor Mike Jones-Pritchard, calls on the council to ensure Flying Start – the Welsh Government’s early years programme for disadvantaged children – or similar provision is available in every parent that needs it in Cardiff.
Councillors hope to bring a revised cross-party motion to the council next month.
Cllr Jones-Pritchard told a meeting of the full council: “Some of these children can’t hold a cup, are still in nappies or can’t carry a conversation. That’s disgraceful in our society.
“When these children come into the schools we have teaching assistants and teachers spending vast amounts of time bringing these children up to the standard where they would be expected to be entering nursery school.
“We’re not blaming anyone, but it’s something in our society that needs to be addressed. We have to deal with these children before they get to school.”
The Tories’ motion recognises the work of teachers and school staff, and that Capital Ambition, the council’s five-year plan for Cardiff, aims to make sure every child goes to a good or excellent school and recognises early intervention is critical.
Cllr Sarah Merry, deputy leader of the council, said she hoped a crossparty agreement can be reached, but said she would not talk about poverty without talking about politics.
She said: “What is the context of this resolution? With 1,000 Sure Start Centres closing in England, we’ve got child poverty up by 100,000 in just one year, spending on children’s and young peoples services axed in real terms by £1bn over just six years.
“I hope you can come back with a resolution that’s affordable that we can all support. But that’s the context we’re working in as a council.
“Funding cuts, cuts to services – they are hitting families in this city. It’s not enough to talk about entrenched disadvantage that children from certain backgrounds have in terms as if it’s all to do with parenting.”
Earlier this year, headteachers across the UK warned that malnourished “grey-looking” children were turning up to school in dirty uniforms and stuffing food in their pockets because they were living in poverty.
Speaking to reporters at the National Education Union annual conference in April, Jane Jenkins, from a Cardiff primary school, said children have turned up with just a slice of bread and margarine in their lunchbox, adding that the school supplements lunches, and frequently gives out fruit from the fruit tuck box.