Nursery World - Editor's view

Should you need at least a grade C in English and maths GCSE to be
able to start the new Early Years Educator level 3 qualification from
September?

Well, different government departments seem to be at odds on this, as our news story explains. The Department for Education is adamant that GCSE is necessary to enrol on an EYE course and to end up with a full and relevant qualification that means you can be included in ratios.

Business, Innovation and Skills, meanwhile, seems to believe that equivalent qualifications such as functional skills will be acceptable.

A further twist is that equivalent skills to GCSEs will be recognised for the Early Years Teacher Status courses (see our special guide) - a higher level course, obviously, than the level 3.

This needs sorting out pronto. The DfE decree has raised very strong feelings in the sector as our readers' comments on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the website make clear. It is quite a complicated issue.

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