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| Extra £5m for play learning plan | |
| (28 minutes later) | |
| An extra £5m to implement a new play-based learning scheme for young children in schools has been announced. | |
| Education Minister Jane Hutt announced the money after meetings with education authorities (LEAs) and teaching unions. | |
| Teachers and LEAs claimed the Foundation Phase, which teaches three to seven-year-olds through play, was underfunded. | |
| Ms Hutt said she wanted to "secure this fundamental and far-reaching change in early years education". | |
| Announcing the cash on Wednesday, she said she was committed to rolling out a programme from September in which one adult supervised eight three-to-five year olds. | |
| She said the money would come from her existing departmental budget, would be ring-fenced for the pilot and early start schools across Wales and would also be available in the summer term in 2009. | |
| A number of schools are currently running a trial of the early years learning programme, and the assembly government plans to implement it nationally in September. | A number of schools are currently running a trial of the early years learning programme, and the assembly government plans to implement it nationally in September. |
| However some headteachers have threatened to boycott the scheme because they say there is not enough money to implement it. | |
| They socialise more with children I think and I think it develops their confidence Linda Bennett, whose children have learnt through the Foundation Phase | They socialise more with children I think and I think it develops their confidence Linda Bennett, whose children have learnt through the Foundation Phase |
| Linda Bennett, from Tywyn, Gwynedd, a mother-of-four who has seen two of her children benefit from the Foundation Phase said she would be "disappointed" if it was not rolled out across Wales. | |
| "I would be disappointed just from the experience with my children," she said. | "I would be disappointed just from the experience with my children," she said. |
| "I think they have a happier experience when they go in and play - they learn through that play they can go outside and experiment with all sorts of materials, it's just much more exciting. | "I think they have a happier experience when they go in and play - they learn through that play they can go outside and experiment with all sorts of materials, it's just much more exciting. |
| "I think it's been very positive for them. They have enjoyed the experience, they have come into a classroom and had lots of opportunities to learn through playing at different stations instead of sitting at a table." | "I think it's been very positive for them. They have enjoyed the experience, they have come into a classroom and had lots of opportunities to learn through playing at different stations instead of sitting at a table." |
| She added: "They socialise more with children I think and I think it develops their confidence." | She added: "They socialise more with children I think and I think it develops their confidence." |
| Flagship scheme | Flagship scheme |
| The assembly government had previously allocated £107m to the project, which moves away from traditional classroom teaching to learning through play-based and outdoor activities. | The assembly government had previously allocated £107m to the project, which moves away from traditional classroom teaching to learning through play-based and outdoor activities. |
| It requires a much higher ratio of staff to pupils than usual, at one teacher per eight children. | It requires a much higher ratio of staff to pupils than usual, at one teacher per eight children. |
| Teachers in Wales said the scheme was up to £15m short for the coming academic year. | |
| Dr Chris Howard, vice-president of the National Association of Headteachers, said it was essential the programme was delivered properly. | Dr Chris Howard, vice-president of the National Association of Headteachers, said it was essential the programme was delivered properly. |
| "It's not simply another funding crisis - this is the flagship scheme of the early devolution government. It's been trumpeted across the UK, it's been trumpeted across Europe and if it's not delivered properly then it does become a very tarnished jewel in the crown." | |
| In March, a report by the Association of Directors of Education in Wales (ADEW) seen by BBC News said only £41m of the £107m promised over three years was new money. | |
| Last week, the assembly's finance committee began to scrutinise the scheme's funding after concerns were expressed by education professionals. | Last week, the assembly's finance committee began to scrutinise the scheme's funding after concerns were expressed by education professionals. |