Sturgeon pledges to double Early Learning & Childcare funding

Funding for free nursery places delivering early learning and childcare will double over the term of the next Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged.

In a wide-ranging education speech, Ms Sturgeon laid out the Scottish Government’s ambition to see every child have the educational opportunities that she benefitted from.

During her address, the First Minister set out the contribution education makes to tackling inequality and growing the economy, focusing on the importance of all children, no matter their background, having the best opportunities through early learning and childcare, strong school education and wider access to higher education.

In a move she described as “one of the best investments any government can possibly make”, she confirmed that free early learning and childcare provision would rise to 30 hours per week, matching the time children spend each week in primary school, by the end of the next Parliament.

Committing to funding this expansion, she pledged that by 2019/20 annual revenue spend on early learning and childcare will have increased from an anticipated £439 million this year to around £880 million.

The First Minister said: “Today I want to highlight some of the areas where we can and must do better. In particular, I want to focus on how inequality in attainment – starting in the very early years, and persisting into adulthood – is weakening our society, holding back our economy, and constraining the life chances of too many of our fellow citizens.

“Early Learning and childcare promotes opportunity twice over. It enables parents to enter the workforce now and provide a better standard of living for their children, and it helps all children to make the most of their potential later in life. It’s one of the best investments any government can possibly make.

“In my view, it is central to any enlightened view of what modern Scotland should look like and that is why it is such a driving priority of my government. That’s why I can confirm today my intention that spending on early learning and care will double over the course of the next parliament.

“That’s in addition to the extra capital spending we will provide. The great capital investment project of this parliament is the Queensferry Crossing. If I am re-elected as First Minister next year, I intend that the great infrastructure project of the next parliament will be perhaps less visible, but arguably even more transformational.

“It will be the investment in care and learning facilities needed to ensure our early years provision matches our primary school provision. These facilities will create a bridge to a better future for children and families across the country.”