Some pre-schools are no more than a childminding service, Education and Children Minister Graham Cregeen has admitted.

In 2012 the government closed its 11 state-run preschools and left provision entirely to the private sector.

As a result, regulation came under the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Mr Cregeen said head teachers had reported some children who arrived in school were not at the same level as was the case previously.

He was speaking during last week’s Tynwald debate on the Delivering the Programme for Government document, which identifies new regulation of pre-schools as a key target.

’What we are trying to do by bringing that regulation in is to give a direction to these pre-schools of what we are actually expecting them to provide,’ he said.

’There are some pre-schools out there that have just been a childminding service. There are some really good pre-schools out there, but what we need to do is put that framework in there and we will have somebody going round the pre-schools who is actually making sure there is educational content in there.

’Previously, it was not. It was just a regulation inspection to see if they were up to a health and safety standard.’

Mr Cregeen was responding after Children’s Champion Daphne Caine (Garff), whose role is to monitor the work of other departments to ensure the interests of children are considered, said a new regulatory regime on its own was not enough.

’I support the outcome of wanting an education system that matches our skills requirements now and in the future,’ she said.

’I don’t feel that introducing a regulatory framework for preschool services will necessarily achieve that.

’We don’t just need more regulation we need access to an appropriate quality and availability of pre-school services.’

The Delivering the Programme for Government document, which sets targets and deadlines based on the administration’s policy blueprint, was approved unanimously by Tynwald.