Nursery World - Educate the educators

By Ian Everitt, deputy manager of the One World Nursery in Brighton, East Sussex. I was amazed at the attitude of Rosie Pressland, chair of East Riding Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, towards having highly qualified professional staff (Letters, 12 February).

I was amazed at the attitude of Rosie Pressland, chair of East Riding Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, towards having highly qualified professional staff (Letters, 12 February).

For years this sector has fought to maintain standards. The lowering of the minimum qualification to NVQ Level 2 several years ago was a disgrace.

Childcare is still considered by some to be a low-status job, and it will never appear any other way while it is thought acceptable to employ minimally qualified staff on the minimum wage.

Several years ago I wrote to Margaret Hodge, then early years minister, to ask why the Government should not take up the cause of early years pay. One reason given in the reply I received from a civil servant was because it was not a graduate profession.

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