Nursery World - Editor's view (317)

The drive to improve the level of qualifications in the early years and childcare sector is welcome indeed, and the need to have level 3 staff in supervisory positions under the national care standards has been proving hard to meet. So the new fast-track level 3 qualification based on Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning could speed up the process considerably and be a boon for those who are worried that their old qualifications may be out of date (News, page 8; Out of School, page 3). There could also be a few bones of contention, however. The quality of the assessment process will be crucial, with the qualification taking as little as 12 weeks and a small portfolio. There are already concerns about the inconsistent quality of assessment for NVQs, and care must be taken that qualifications are not handed over to candidates who are not working at a sufficient standard.

There could also be a few bones of contention, however. The quality of the assessment process will be crucial, with the qualification taking as little as 12 weeks and a small portfolio. There are already concerns about the inconsistent quality of assessment for NVQs, and care must be taken that qualifications are not handed over to candidates who are not working at a sufficient standard.

Those practitioners who are currently spending scarce time and money on qualifying through the NVQ route may take umbrage if others receive a piece of paper for far less effort. And the move to take early years experience into account for playwork positions, and vice versa, could prove politically sensitive.

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