NEW figures show that four in 10 of our children fail to master the basic skills expected of them at the age of five.
Britain has fallen behind Poland, Hungary, Denmark, and Finland in this regard.
If five year olds have reached a good level of development they can dress themselves, take turns in a conversation, know some of the alphabet, read simple sentences, or count to 10.
3,600 Sure Start Centres were opened by Labour to provide childcare and early years education services, as well as health and parenting advice to disadvantaged families.
Coalition funding cuts have led to the closure of 124 Sure Start Children’s Centres.
Early life inequalities usually follow through to teenage years. That is, more teenagers classified as NEETS (those not in Employment, Education, or Training).
The Sure Start Centres need to be expanded, not cut.
Surely the £10 billion, which it is proposed the UK sends to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to provide even more bail-outs (Spain, Greece, Portugal) in the EU, could be spent better on saving and expanding these centres?
Apparently Mr Osborne the coalition chancellor does not intend to pursue a vote on this matter in the House of Commons.
Yet again their hands in your pockets, without asking you!
JAMES ASHINGTON
UKIP candidate for Lymm Parish and Lymm ward borough elections Lymm
