"Children Being Failed on Grand Scale"

I was reading this article, http://www.dadtalk.co.uk/education-news/1462-children-are-being-failed-on-a-grand-scale, on the DadTalk Advice and Support section.

Wanted to solicit your thoughts. I have jotted down a few of mine below,

There is always the link stated between the number of children mastering the basic tasks expected of a 5yr old and poorer/affluent areas. The poorer the area the less likely a high percentage of children master basic tasks and the more affluent the higher the percentage.

It is the link between poor areas and affluent areas that always interests me. Trying to order the discussion in my head and would be appreciative of any views,

• Is it just that in more affluent areas there is a higher percentage of people who have fewer kids and thus have more time to give to their children; their time is less thinly spread
• Would more play centres increase the percentage in poorer areas or make some people more likely to outsource their parenting and thus not change the percentage?
• If you are in a more affluent area, you are more likely to have a better education does this make the bigger impact on the early childhood development or is just being able to spend time with your children more important at this early age?