SURE Start centres have an ‘unclear’ purpose according to MPs.
The quality of pre-school Sure Start children's centres in England needs to be taken as seriously as standards in schools, says a report from the Education Select Committee.
The group say there is a lack of clarity about the "core purpose" of children's centres. The report calls for more certainty about what they should provide and closer integration with other services.
"Education is too important to wait until children reach school age," says committee chairman Graham Stuart.
The report from MPs into Sure Start centres warns that the government needs some "coherent, long-term thinking on early years and children's centres".
It says at present the expectations of children's centres are "too vague and broad.”
And it is unclear whether they should prioritise support for parents or whether they are meant to provide early years education for children.
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