Parents 'dump' children on schools

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Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, criticised the Government's drive for all schools to offer childcare between the hours of 8am and 6am.

But Mr Brookes was publicly criticised by Children's Minister Beverley Hughes - who was sitting beside him at the time - for making the "unhelpful" comments.

The Government wants all schools in England to offer after hours clubs and childcare by 2010 to end the culture of "latch key kids" returning to empty homes while their parents are still at work.

Speaking at the NAHT's annual conference in Liverpool, Mr Brookes said: "The concept of offering stimulating activities after or before school sessions is custom and practice to many."

But he went on: "The vast majority of parents want to see their children after school. (They) echo the shock expressed by some of the eastern European parents that rather than promoting the importance of quality childcare at home, our country advocates a back to work culture that may well prove to be counter-productive."

At a briefing for journalists, Mr Brookes said he could give Ms Hughes "chapter and verse" on the problem.

"Some parents do abdicate responsibility and dump their children early at school and they are late picking them up at the end of the day," he said. This does not benefit the children and makes life harder for schools, he suggested.

Ms Hughes hit back, saying: "I think that's probably a fairly unhelpful comment - the very fact that you said it. What most parents need is the choice. The research tells us that certainly for toddlers and beyond, high quality early years provision makes a measurable and long-term positive difference to their ability to shine at school, to their social development.

"The challenge for me in extending these opportunities for early years provision is to make sure it is high quality. It is about choice for parents and I don't think for a minute that parents abdicate responsibility to schools or nurseries or anybody else."