The crisis in Britain’s nurseries: are we failing our youngest children? – podcast | Education
Nurseries across the UK often provide a vital community service alongside teaching children at a key time in their development. But many nurseries now face unprecedented pressure.
Early years workers say they are being forced to leave jobs they love because they can get better pay in supermarkets or call centres – leading to some providers having to close for lack of staff. Yet parents say the price of childcare can be as much as their rent and is pushing women out of the workforce.
Staff at the Playhouse nursery in Bristol, and the Guardian’s education correspondent Sally Weale, explain what has pushed the sector to the brink – and explore what needs to be done to ensure our youngest children get the care they need and deserve.
Photograph: Rawpixel/Getty Images/iStockphoto
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