Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has expressed confidence that the free childcare scheme for two-year-olds in England will be ready for its April launch. Despite not confirming whether all eligible parents would be able to access the scheme, Keegan assured that the department was working hard to get the initiative up and running. The scheme will provide 15 hours of free childcare per week to working parents of two-year-olds from April, extending to children from nine months in September. By September 2025, working parents of children under five will be entitled to 30 hours of free childcare per week. Despite criticisms about delays and technical issues, Keegan stated that an IT problem had been resolved. However, Labour’s shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, criticised the lack of guarantees for parents. Keegan also discussed a new pilot for the government’s teaching apprenticeship plan, which she believes could be a “game-changer”.
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