Nursery World - Editor's view (172)

Last week's Professional Nanny/ Nannytax pay survey, out with Nursery World of 25 January, certainly caught the attention of national and regional media, with newspapers and radio stations around the country running stories about the 'wonderful' salaries and 'amazing' perks available to nannies. It is an interesting and sobering reflection on society's attitudes to childcare and its value that average earnings ranging from Pounds 14,000 in rural areas to 22,000 in central London for qualified, experienced staff, sometimes working 12-plus hours a day in very responsible jobs, should cause such consternation. This sort of money hardly makes for an extravagant lifestyle, even with the odd free holiday thrown in.

It is an interesting and sobering reflection on society's attitudes to childcare and its value that average earnings ranging from 14,000 in rural areas to 22,000 in central London for qualified, experienced staff, sometimes working 12-plus hours a day in very responsible jobs, should cause such consternation. This sort of money hardly makes for an extravagant lifestyle, even with the odd free holiday thrown in.

And what about other childcare workers, not employed by well-off parents, whose pay is well below even these modest rates? Thousands of childminders, nursery nurses and classroom assistants (see Letters, page 34) are still paid pitiful amounts for doing vitally important work.

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