Someone isn't playing fair

Mary Wales, development manager of the Scottish Pre-school Playgroups Association (SPPA), likes what she hears when David Blunkett talks about playgroups, or pre-schools as the English call them.

''He says they matter; that they are key to securing a variety of provision and laying the foundation stones for early literacy and numeracy. The Government is making all the right noises. It's the reality that's different,'' she says.

The Education Secretary was waxing lyrical as he announced some emergency funding to help pre-schools survive intense competition from primary schools creating nursery classes. English pre-schools, that is. Not a penny of emergency funding has been announced for Scottish playgroups.

In Scotland, many playgroups are facing grant cuts at the same time as losing thousands more in fee income as their rising-fives disappear into private and state nursery schools. Unable to survive on income from mainly three-year-olds, dozens of playgroups will next month wash their paint brushes, read a last story, sing a final chorus of The Wheels on the Bus, and close their doors

forever. And what will happen to next year's three-year-olds, you ask? Good question.

The SPPA is further hamstrung by deep cuts in its central funding. Last year it lost #100,000, and it is now reduced to a mere 64 area staff, all part-timers. It used to be 128. This will do more than reduce support and advice for individual playgroups. ''In some areas we have no staff at all, so it's difficult to collect information,'' says Mary Wales. ''Currently about 30 playgroups have asked for part year membership because they know they'll be closing in June.'' She fears there could be many more.

There are different ways of looking at this situation, not all of them gloomy. To assess them, it's important to understand the history of playgroups and the distinction between playgroups and nursery schools. Playgroups are uniquely British. Elsewhere in Europe, only Holland has anything like them.

They were begun in the 1960s by parents desperate for some pre-school education and communal play for their kids.

At the time, other countries were recognising the importance of early years education to later development, and creating statutory provision. But not Britain.

So mothers here did what mothers always do. They rolled up their sleeves. Playgroups cater for three to five-year-olds. And although they employ play leaders who have some training and receive a meagre wage, the emphasis has been on mums (and more recently, dads, grannies, grandads and childminders too) turning up for rota duties. The ratio of adults to

children is high (SPPA recommends one to six) so there's lots of individual attention.

Nursery schools are different. At present they cater mainly for four-year-olds. Whether state or private they employ more trained, slightly better-paid staff, albeit at a lower ratio. Some encourage parental involvement. Others don't. (They shouldn't be confused with nurseries, which are mainly private and care for under-fives, often from birth onwards, while their parents work.)

One view about playgroups is that now the Government is pouring money into nursery schools, we no longer need them; after all, with more than half of mothers of under-fives in employment, groups offering two to three hours a day aren't meeting the needs of today's families. But this ignores the question of three-year-olds, and the fact that many mothers are still at home.

Besides, there's another view about playgroups. It is that many under-fives aren't ready for the more structured atmosphere of a nursery school; that small children learn lots about life through play; that the informal atmosphere, with mums on hand, is just the ticket for little ones needing lots of cuddles and plenty

of mess.

It also helps parents - especially those in need of parenting skills. It gives them experience of committee work. Many have gone on to other volunteering roles such as school boards, or trained to become teachers or childcare professionals on the back of their playgroup experience. So the whole community benefits.

At the 11th hour, the SPPA is organising a ''Support Playgroups!'' campaign to try and get that message across to politicians and the public, but it may be too late.

For many years, playgroups and nursery schools jogged along together, but the voucher scheme changed all that. By putting purchasing power into parents' hands, it pitched playgroups against nurseries and thousands of four-year-olds were sucked into private nursery schools.

Some playgroups were able to register to receive vouchers, and have benefited, but most did not. Until this year playgroups have held their own against other provision but that's about to change dramatically.

Colquhoun pre-school playgroup in Bearsden is a typical example. Until this year it was bursting, with 24 children each morning and afternoon. Then the local primary school opened a nursery class and because they didn't get enough four-year-olds, started taking three-year-olds as well. Now the playgroup is down to an average of 18 children, mornings only, and is likely to close next month. ''I feel very sad,'' said Mrs Paulette Ingham, play leader for the past eight years. ''I think we could have worked very well together but there was no discussion at all.''

At the same time the playgroup risks losing its funding from East Dunbartonshire which is now directing its support for the nursery. ''They won't even tell us if they are going to renew the lease,'' she says. If they close there will be no provision for younger pre-school children.

Some believe Scottish playgroups have been too slow to adapt to the changes, compared with Northern Ireland where playgroups have completely re-invented themselves as care/play/education organisations. With children passing through playgroup in one or two years, there's a rapid turnover of organising parents and this militates against both quick decisions and long-term vision.

There have also been deep divisions within SPPA about the need for change. It would be a pity if this meant playgroups were left behind just when a new exciting role awaits them.

Bronwen Cohen, director of the umbrella organisation, Children in Scotland, believes there's plenty of scope for partnerships between playgroups and nurseries. Situations like the one at Colquhoun playgroup are symptomatic of the weakness of fragmented provision, she says. Hopefully, Scotland's National Childcare Strategy, to be announced in the next few days, will start the process of getting everyone on the same side and creating coherent provision of care, education and play for under-fives.

A survey by Children in Scotland, published today, shows councils are keen to provide a better co-ordinated service.

''Playgroups should be assisted,'' says Dr Cohen. ''They have strengths to build on. They need funding to develop a service that will meet the requirements of parents and children in to the next century.''

At present, the Government's focus is on four-year-olds but shortly it will move to under-fours. Some playgroups are forming alliances with toddler groups. Maybe more should. After all, better parental leave provision is likely to mean more parents available to help.

Though registration requirements need to be sorted out, the future

may lie in combined toddler and

playgroups with a rising-fours

group providing a launch pad into nursery school.

In rural areas, Dr Cohen thinks it may make sense to merge in out of school care too. Meanwhile, Mary Wales at the SPPA fears for the short term. ''The Government's long term view is that there will be more money for three-year-olds. That could give playgroups a new lease

of life.

''Our concern is that it will be too late. By that time all these playgroups will have closed.''