Not a song of sixpence

The Government is in the countinghouse
Counting out its money

About $60 million worth:

Parents are to be taught to sing nursery rhymes to their children in a £30million Government initiative recently unveiled.

A parenting academy is being launched to improve child-rearing skills.
The centre - to be based at King's College, London - will train a "parenting workforce" to promote proven techniques among new mothers and fathers.

Children's Minister Beverley Hughes has said the academy will even train workers to help families sing to their children and read stories.

In a controversial recent speech, she declared: "Some parents already know that reading and singing nursery rhymes with their young children will get them off to a flying start, often because this is how they themselves were brought up.

"For other parents without this inheritance, these simple techniques are a mystery and are likely to remain so unless we act and draw them to their attention."