BABIES are to be taught a “national curriculum” devised by Whitehall, the new Childcare Bill revealed yesterday.

Childminders and nurseries will be under a legal duty to teach the Early Years Foundation Stage to children from birth until the age of 3.

They will be taught mathematics, reading and writing, according to Beverley Hughes, the Children’s Minister. She argued that research showed that earlier education helped children to develop faster both socially and intellectually.

But parents will not be guaranteed childcare under the Bill, despite government promises of a universal service. Instead, local authorities will have a legal duty to provide childcare facilities for working parents only where it is “reasonably practicable”.

Ofsted will police the new curriculum with its inspectors checking that children are developing in four distinct headings. The children will be expected to have mastered skills such as comparing, categorising and recognising symbols and marks.

Ms Hughes said yesterday that the Bill was a bold move, adding that it would provide a “coherent framework that defines progression for young children from nought to five”.

She said that young children’s education deserved parity with that at primary and secondary level, but denied that this would be at the expense of play.

“We are not talking about sitting very young children in chairs and making them learn numbers and letters where that is inappropriate,” she said.

The department said that the curriculum would be based on the four stages of development contained in Birth to Three Matters, an advisory document published two years ago.

The curriculum will divide a baby’s development into four broad areas: heads up, lookers and communicators; sitters, standers and explorers; movers, shakers and players; and walkers, talkers and pretenders.

There will be four aspects each containing a check list of components — a strong child, a skilful communicator, a competent learner and a healthy child.

The guidance on which the curriculum will be based says: “Creativity, imagination and representation allow children to share their thoughts, feelings, understanding and identities with others, using drawings, words, movement, music, dance and imaginative play.” The Government also pledged yesterday that by 2010 all parents of children aged between 3 and 14 should have access to year-round childcare places from 8am to 6pm.

Ms Hughes said: “It is a truly radical Bill enshrining in law the duty of local authorities to reduce inequalities amongst the youngest children and improve outcomes for all.

“It brings, for the first time, the provision of integrated early years education and care into the mainstream of the modern welfare state.”

However, councils will not receive more than the present £600 million to provide the places and local authority leaders said that unless the Government met a £200 million shortfall, either council taxes would have to rise faster or the cost of childcare would increase further.

Alison King, education spokeswoman for the Local Government Authority, said that England’s 150 authorities would work closely with all providers to deliver the commitments, but added: “Without substantial extra government investment, it is hard to see how this Bill will increase the amount of affordable childcare for low-income families and those with disabled children.

To be on track to meet the Government’s ambitions means investing £200 million in the next two years over and above existing resources.”

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