For once, to my great surprise, I agree with him. The 29-year-old pre-school I work for will be marked down in Ofsted inspections and the Investors in Children accreditation scheme because the majority of workers here are parents who are untrained and uninterested in the continual courses being offered by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. My deputy only works here two mornings a week - she has taken a post in a local school for the other three mornings because it pays her more money, she has less work to do and there is no more of me asking her to do the NVQ 3.
We do train, by reading and discussing articles from Nursery World, buying appropriate books and attending local Pre-school Learning Alliance meetings.
Last year the pre-school was sent an autistic child by social services. Many so-called experts came in, few with any workable ideas. In fact, both the parents and the pre-school wrote and sent a letter of complaint about the psychologists' visit report.
We survived the year with this lovely but challenging child thanks to the dedication and experience of our untrained staff. So please, can the Government recognise the important role played by these valuable people - the children's parents - in its reports, the accreditation scheme and by decent wages so that they are kept in pre-schools.
Maggie Bentley, co-ordinator, Helpston Playhouse and Under-Fives, Peterborough
