大象传媒

SeBastien
The nursery should be free, not such of money, 1000 pounds per months, it's too much !!

Bruce Horwood
I might be cynical but due to lack of published details I assume there will be a catch, such as compulsory opt-out of free nursery if you choose a nursery that charges over the set hourly rate. Not only could this prejudice smaller private nurseries and middle income families but it could force the better nurseries to make cuts so that it can afford to reduce the hourly charge. The logical solution is for parents to pay the difference.I would welcome the details which no doubt will follow the election.

Child care
I assume that before people have children, which is one of the most expensive things in life, they arrange suitable accommodation and work out whether they can afford them. However, in reality they expect the taxpayers to fork out - again.

Nellie Ma莽on
Nursery care should be free for all 3-4 year olds and Senator Vibert promised to pay the private nursery schools for this when he first suggested the idea. He then reneged on his assurances and built units on some primary schools. As a result several private nursery schools went out of business. The nursery schools do not make a profit on very young children due to the legal carer/child ratio and only start making money as the children grow older. If you take all 3 - 4 year olds away fropm the private nurseries they will have to close and then where will working parents be? One condition - the nursery care should be means tested but with a reasonably high ceiling, say 拢60K - 拢70K combined income so that most taxpayers will benefit but those that really can afford to pay still have to do so. I absolutely agree with Ms Lever that trained teachers are not required. Nursery nurses in the private sector are trained to give 3-4 year olds the same skills education as the teachers - why should the tax payer be charged more for unnecessarily qualified staff?

bridie
As a taxpayer and an O.A.P no i dont think children should be given free nursery care,i am also a grandmother i think like other people if they want to do it means test them like the sick and ederly get done to them.

Bronia Lever
I think that we should have a working partnership between the States and the private sector. The private sector provide nursery places at convenient times for working parents, which the States nurseries currently do not do. It would be much fairer if all 3 & 4 year olds were offered say 15 hours of nursery time per week, whether that be private or school nursery and any additional hours would need to be paid by the parents.

In regards to means testing, although I agree it should be considered, I worry that families with the most need who currently are not part of the income support system may be penalised. If they haven't been in the Island for at least 5 years, how would this work?Also there needs to be some parity between States and private nurseries. Why do we need qualified teachers in States nurseries when the private sector have fully qualified nursery nurses? At 3 & 4 years old, children are going to nursery to socialise and interact and do not need to be taught until they go to primary school. It would be cheaper to employ nursery nurses and also maybe a charge could be made for attending States nurseries?All children should have access to nursery care and I think it would be fairer for that to be 15 hours per week.

SR
it would be fantastic if all 3 and 4 year olds could have a free place for at least 20hour week. However i do not think it should necessarily be means tested (why be penalised if you are willing to work and happen to have a good job) but i do think on the application form you should state if you intend to send your child to a private primary school, and this should lower you down the criteria list,(if you are willing to pay for education, don't take a states place for one year and leave others without a place) and if a parent lies on the application form the school nursery place should be reimbursed by the parent.