UK spending on pre-school education is among the lowest of advanced economies, according to a new report from the OECD. The findings highlight significant challenges for the UK government in improving early childhood education.
The OECD’s latest report, released on Tuesday, shows stark differences in investment and outcomes in UK education across various stages of children’s development. Although the UK invests more than the OECD average in primary and secondary education, it spends just $7,462 (£5,700) per child on early years education. This is notably less than the $12,749 (£9,700) spent by other OECD countries.
Additionally, the UK has the second-largest earnings gap between individuals with and without secondary qualifications, at 40 percent, compared to the OECD average of 15 percent.
At the report’s launch in London, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson remarked, “The sad truth is that a significant part of the attainment gap is already baked in by the age of five.”
Phillipson, who has made early years education her “number one priority,” criticized the previous Conservative government for making promises about free childcare without a solid plan. She celebrated the recent introduction of 15 funded hours of childcare for working parents and announced a planned increase to 30 free hours by 2025.
To address the ongoing shortage of nursery places and reduce educational inequality, the government has committed to creating over 3,000 new nursery classes in existing schools across England. Additionally, a review by Sir David Bell, former chief inspector of Ofsted, will explore how to enhance pre-school provision, including removing restrictions that limit local authorities from opening nurseries.
The OECD report also reveals a decline in public investment in early childhood education relative to GDP in the UK, falling 13 percent between 2015 and 2021. In contrast, OECD-wide investment increased by 9 percent during the same period.
The report highlights a significant disparity in childcare access based on family income in the UK. Only 32 percent of children from the lowest income bracket receive pre-school care, compared to 59 percent from the highest income bracket.
Overall, the UK allocates about 6.2 percent of its GDP to education, well above the OECD average of 4.9 percent. Spending on tertiary education per full-time equivalent student is nearly twice the OECD average at $27,234 (£20,800). However, the proportion of young adults without upper secondary education has stagnated at 12 percent in the UK from 2017 to 2023, while it decreased from 17 percent to 14 percent across the OECD.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, welcomed the increased funding for early years education but cautioned that the current approach prioritizes childcare over the essential role of early learning. He stressed that addressing the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers should be the government’s highest educational priority.