Children again featured prominently in the budget, with education high up the agenda. Chancellor Gordon Brown said the government wants children to start education at three, and for nine out of 10 young people to continue in education or training until 18.
From next year, help with early learning will be offered in every area for all children who need it, with extra funding for Sure Start and the National Parenting Fund.
More cash will go to rebuild and refurbish primary schools, to help them provide the new services in ‘extended schools’ that will open from 8am to 6pm. Further education colleges will also receive money for refurbishment and more cash will go to information technology in primary and secondary schools. Other pledges on education include incentives to encourage teenagers to stay at school or in full time training.
Families on low incomes will benefit from an increase in child tax credit and child benefit in line with earnings. And the government will now consult on extending the child trust fund to include payments in secondary school years, said Mr Brown. Under the scheme, announced two months’ ago, every child born after 31 August 2002 will receive a cash payment at birth and a second on the child’s seventh birthday.
Other measures announced include the creation of a new national community service for young people to recruit up to one million young volunteers to work on projects at home and abroad, and the merging of the health and social care inspectorates. The Commission for Social Care and Inspection, which started operating last April, will lose its inspection of children’s services to Ofsted, the schools inspectorate
