Nursery staff ‘lack basic skills’

Nursery staff and childminders are allowed to work at pre-school groups even if they lack basic literacy or numeracy skills, according to a Government-commissioned report by Professor Cathy Nutbrown, an expert in early childhood education from Sheffield University.

Professor Nutbrown looked at the qualifications needed to work in early education and childcare.

There was no requirement to demonstrate competence in English and mathematics, she found, even though these skills are important in supporting the development of babies and young children, as well as communicating with parents.

Professor Nutbrown found that although there are “examples of excellence”, there remained “substantial concerns” about the quality of training.

Despite the importance of early education in children’s development, she concluded that the work was seen as “low status, low paid, and low skilled”.

She wrote: “The ‘hair or care’ stereotype still exists for many considering a course in the early years; yet many other sectors have raised their expectations in relation to enrolment.

“It must be a cause for concern that early years courses are often the easiest to enrol on and the courses that the students with the poorest academic records are sometimes steered towards.”

In nearly all professions, staff can only be employed if they are qualified. This should be the case in early education and childcare. Unison

The Nutbrown Review quoted Dr Celia Greenway, from the University of Birmingham, who said: “For too long early years work has been perceived as an alternative to hairdressing and a suitable route for those who fail in school.”

The Unison union said: “By allowing non-qualified people to work in childcare settings we undermine the status of the qualified workforce. In nearly all professions, staff can only be employed if they are qualified. This should be the case in early education and childcare.”

Helen Perkins of Solihull College told the report that students must achieve a higher level of qualifications on their courses for animal care than child care.

“Nobody demands the same level of qualification before you can be left alone with a baby,” she said.

Meanwhile Professor Nutbrown expressed concern that some learning centres “push students through a course” even if they are not suited to a career in pre-school groups in a bid to achieve high completion rates.

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said: “It is worrying that instead of tackling this issue head-on, the Government seems to want to bury the recommendations of this report.

“Parents of young children will be concerned if their childminders or nursery workers do not have sufficient skills.

“The worry is that the Government’s plans to reduce standards and regulations could make the situation worse.”

The Children’s Minister, Sarah Teather, told Channel 4 News: “The government is putting a huge amount of money into this area and we know that it will make an enormous amount of difference.

“It is essential that we get the quality right. There is such a wide diversity of qualifications on offer and some of them are not really supplying what we want to see for those people who are working with some of the most vulnerable and some of the youngest children.”