The Government has been forced into making concessions on its new national standards for staff qualifications in daycare settings in England.
The U-turn was revealed by Margaret Hodge at a Kids' Clubs Network conference in London last Friday, and followed a campaign last autumn by Nursery World to 'Stop the drop in standards' and by the National Day Nurseries Association. The employment and equal opportunities minister said, 'We listened carefully to your representations and I'm really pleased to be able to announce today that we have been able to take on board what you have said and we have raised the standard which we expect to be the minimum.
'Originally, the manager in a daycare setting was to have NVQ3, and 50 per cent of staff to have NVQ2. Now, all managers - the manager and deputy, and everybody in a supervisory role - will have NVQ3. Supervisors in baby rooms will also have level 3 and two years' experience, and at least half of the rest of the staff should have NVQ2.'
Mrs Hodge told delegates she knew the issue of qualifications was contentious, 'with some of you feeling that in setting the standards we were reducing qualification standards and dumbing down'.
While Mrs Hodge's announce-ment was welcomed by some in the field, it was roundly condemned by others. Rosemary Murphy, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said she was 'absolutely delighted' and believed the change was a 'direct result of NDNA pressure and lobbying on Government departments'.
She explained that negotiations with the Department for Education and Employment had reached a 'stalemate' which had prompted the NDNA to write to Mrs Hodge last December, proposing that all supervisory staff should have a level 3 qualification. The NDNA defined this in broad terms, to include key workers and those whose responsibilities include planning and evaluating curriculum activities, and assessing and recording children's progress. Details of how the DfEE defines supervisory roles will emerge only when the national standards are published, probably around Easter.
The Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN), however, expressed disappointment that the Government was still 'dumbing down' standards. Senior professional officer Alison Johnston said, 'The sector is already working way above the existing minimum requirements the Government is proposing to lower. This is progress in reverse.'
Early years expert Marion Whitehead accused the Government of lacking long-term vision and taking an approach of 'make it up as we go along and keep it as cheap as possible'.
The DfEE proposed last summer that the person in charge of a daycare setting should have a level 3 qualification and that at least half the rest of the staff have level 2. This prompted an outcry, given that many local authorities already require half the staff to be qualified to level 3. Nursery World ran a campaign which was supported by many childcare organisations, early years experts, charities and unions to try to persuade the Government to 'Stop the Drop' and raise standards instead.
