The Government's childcare strategy has flatlined, according to a report released this week.
The Government-commissioned report by the National Centre for Social Research found that the extension of free childcare for 12.5 hours a week to three year olds in England which was introduced in 2004 has failed to increase the take-up of the scheme. The Government is shortly to extend the number of hours of free childcare for three and four year olds to 15 a week.
The report says 95% of three and four year olds have used the scheme. Parents say the reasons they are not taking up the places is that they cannot afford to make up the extra hours a week in childcare costs or that there are no available places in their area.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families acknowledged that wealthier middle class parents were more likely to use childcare than those on lower incomes, but said the new childcare strategy, which includes extended schools, would take some time to bed in.
Science and technology faces brain drain due to failure to confront sexism and long hours culture
More than half of women in engineering, science and technology quit their jobs between the ages of 35 and 40, a survey has found.
The main reasons for the 52% of women who desert these professions include sexism, isolation, the long hours culture, a culture that rewards risk-taking and last minute saves over preventing problems occurring in the first place and family responsibilities.
The results of The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering and Technology survey by the US Center for Work-Life Policy of 2,800 women is published in the Harvard Business Review this month. The research found that women outperformed men in the professions and the majority said they loved their jobs, with 88% in science saying this was the case.
The survey also found that women's motivations for going into the professions were different. Many said that trying to do something to help society was a motivating force, whereas this was only true for a minority of men.
Small businesses 'more likely' to grant flexible work claims
Small businesses are more likely to grant flexible working claims than large ones, according to an article in the eGov monitor.
It cites the recent Walsh report on extending flexible working and says the British Chambers of Commerce has found that 89% of small employers have provided employees with some form of flexible working.
Post this entry to:
del.icio.us
|
Digg
|
Newsvine
|
Reddit
