Nursery World - Scots rule out APEL fast-track route

Early years practitioners in Scotland who operate at level 3 but do not hold a formal childcare qualification cannot access the APEL qualification because it has been deemed 'unsuitable' for the Scottish market at present. The 'fast-track' route to a level 3 childcare qualification, which was accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England in September 2003, is the first Government-devised award to use the APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) assessment methodology.

The 'fast-track' route to a level 3 childcare qualification, which was accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England in September 2003, is the first Government-devised award to use the APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) assessment methodology.

After a meeting convened by the Scottish Executive in December last year, representatives of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) discussed the pros and cons of the APEL qualification and how it would fit in with the Scottish system.

Karen Crawford, SQA qualifications officer, said that after the meeting they decided not to go ahead with the APEL system.

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