Question reference: S3W-16579
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 25 September 2008
-
Current status: Answered by Adam Ingram on 9 October 2008
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the promise to deliver access to a fully qualified nursery teacher for nursery age children entails full-time or part-time contact with the child by the teacher.
Answer
The Scottish Government expects that local authorities will deliver on the commitment to deliver access to a teacher for all pre-school children, on the basis of local needs and priorities.
There is evidence to show that the quality of provision is higher in centres where a teacher is involved in pre-school education and, where the quality is high, there is evidence that children have increased chances of success in their primary education and reduced chances of problems with attainment, relationships and behaviour.
The key issue in driving up quality of provision is that children benefit from the input of a qualified teacher to their programme of activity and child development. However, there is no evidence to support the setting of a specific minimum level of access needed to achieve that quality of provision.
We are clear that we do expect to see an overall increase in the level of teacher involvement in pre-school in all local authorities.