Free pre-school for all from 2016 - Education

The department has today released its proposals for 15 hours a week of free pre-school for every island three- and four-year-old in a move that minister Robert Sillars, pictured, said would finally bring Guernsey in line with other developed jurisdictions.

The minister also dismissed criticism by Treasury and Resources and the Policy Council over its failure to outline how funds would be found and its decision to provide universal rather than means-tested provision.

Instead, under the proposals going before the States next month, Education would work with Treasury to draw up one or more viable funding options, which would then have to be approved no later than a year before the universal initiative is rolled out to the first intake of around 600 children in September 2016.

At this stage it would not be compulsory for children to attend – with statutory requirements dismissed as a 'last resort'.

Deputy Sillars said the move would ensure Guernsey was no longer embarrassingly behind other jurisdictions in Europe in providing such a provision – some of whom had done so for decades.