Nursery World - Due respect (1)

I was concerned to read Germaine Greer's comment about childcarers (Quote of the week, 22 August). When considering formal, that is, paid-for childcare in the UK today, her statement could hardly be further from the truth. We have some of the most stringent laws in the world, requiring day nurseries to maintain staff:child ratios of 1:3 for all children under two and at least half the staff to be qualified. A recent survey of National Day Nurseries Association member nurseries found 90 per cent of nursery nurses were qualified to NVQ Level 3. The remainder were qualified to Level 2 and would typically be working towards a higher qualification.

When considering formal, that is, paid-for childcare in the UK today, her statement could hardly be further from the truth. We have some of the most stringent laws in the world, requiring day nurseries to maintain staff:child ratios of 1:3 for all children under two and at least half the staff to be qualified. A recent survey of National Day Nurseries Association member nurseries found 90 per cent of nursery nurses were qualified to NVQ Level 3. The remainder were qualified to Level 2 and would typically be working towards a higher qualification.

Ms Greer is right to point out that lack of access to childcare has long been a barrier to mothers returning to the workplace or to study. The Government's National Childcare Strategy has set ambitious targets to create 250,000 new childcare places by 2004. To achieve these targets we will need 150,000 more childcare workers in England.

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