Michael Rosen

Levelling down

Facts and figures can often say a lot about what is the truth and what is not. I was listening to the radio the other day I was sure that I heard a woman say in the year ending in March, 400 or more nurseries closed. And there was more in store: one third of these was in areas the most deprived. Hold it, I thought, hasn’t a new era arrived? Aren’t we ‘levelling up’, abolishing the ‘poverty trap’? Isn’t the boast, ‘We’re closing the attainment gap’?

Nurseries are the foundations of what comes later again and again we’ve been told they must cater for all, free for most or exceedingly cheap not provided at rates which for most are too steep. Otherwise the poor are simply kept outside, that attainment gap is kept permanently wide. I remember a time when we talked of compensation the disadvantaged would get more education. The truth is clear, as anyone can guess Those who have little are going to get less.

Illustration by Dan Berry Words by Michael Rosen