Letter: Funding undergrads and under-fives

Sir: The Prime Minister is helping neither the four-year-old nor the working parent by favouring the schoolroom over the nursery class. With a much higher staff-child ratio in a school, children have less chance of the one-to-one care and attention offered in a nursery setting. There are also reduced opportunities for rest and play, vital to a young child of four.

From the working parent's point of view, the school day tends to be shorter than the nursery day, with the added worry of mid- and end-of-term holidays.

All in all, John Major would do well to rethink his strategy of nursery education for three- and four- year-olds. Not only would this benefit the children, but it would also have short- and long-term social and economic advantages.

Yours faithfully,

NAHEED RAHMANI

Working for Childcare

London, N7

16 March