'Several children in our neighbourhood have caught mumps. Why is this? I thought the MMR injection prevented it. Is mumps a serious disease?' Dr Pat Gilbert replies:
There has been an increase in the number of cases of mumps recently. There are two possible factors involved in this. First, older children who are not able to benefit from the MMR immunisation because it was not available at the age when this immunisation is given, are still at risk of catching the infection. Second, due to concerns over the MMR vaccine, the immunisation rates have gone down and so younger children are contracting the infection. This then, of course, can be passed on to the older group of children who have not been immunised.
Mumps is unpleasant but, in many cases, not a serious disease. The dangers lie in the complications that can occur, chief of which is meningitis with involvement of the ear, so deafness can result.
Promoting independence
'I am a nursery manager and have been interested to read about consultation with children. I think it is important for us to introduce this into nursery, but I am not sure how to best go about it, especially with the youngest children. Where do you suggest we start?' Jean Evans replies:
In order to take an active part in decision making for the whole group, children need to move through distinct stages. Consider ways to consult children so they are able to make valuable contributions at all levels.
Move from consulting children about individual choice, to letting them make choices for small group activities and, finally, whole group decisions. Monitor children's development of decision-making ability, so you can involve them at the appropriate level.
Very young children are more concerned with how their immediate environment affects them, so encourage them to become confident decision-makers about personal choices, for example by choosing from two different fruits at 'snack time'. Always give praise and show them you value their decisions. The most confident children will value the responsibility of deciding which samples of work to put in their assessment folders.
Progress from these individual choices, to taking responsibility for small group decisions. For example, leave a table empty and ask a child to choose something to put out for other children to play with. Even if their choice seems unusual, let them try it. Eventually, children can develop this skill sufficiently to suggest ideas to link into the next week's programme for the whole group. They do this surprisingly well!
Save the Children publishes a useful book called Children as Partners in Planning: a training resource to support consultation with children by Lina Fajerman, Michael Jarrett and Faye Sutton (price 15, 01752 202301).
Has NNEB lost its value?
'I've heard that as nurseries expand they are taking on extra teachers rather than nursery nurses. Does this, along with NVQ qualifications being accepted, mean that the NNEB is becoming less important?' Meg Jones replies:
Definitely not. Childcare and early years qualifications will become increasingly important with the expansion of provision in this country. The different degree, diploma and certificate courses are part of a broad spectrum of care and education training, and are vital tools for the well-being of young children.
We need a variety of perspectives. Teachers are becoming a more integral part of the under-fives scene and early years practitioners are training to become qualified teachers. Desirable as it may be to have early years teachers in the setting, there is a national shortfall, so the days of nursery nurses being numbered is not even on the horizon.
However, it is important for any qualified early years practitioner not to think they have done all the training they need. Following qualification and a period of consolidation, consider training to develop your skills in preparation for greater responsibilities. Competent nursery nurses are needed to fulfil all roles in early years fields.
