Michael Pettavel: Why profit can be toxic in education
Michael Pettavel head teacher, Brougham Street Childcare and Nursery School, Skipton. All views most definitely my own
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
The monetisation of all care-giving sectors, including the early years, cannot be sustainable when the system undervalues staff so much, says our regular columnist Michael Pettavel
It is difficult to escape the lack of joy in the media, the increasingly fantasy-fuelled pledges played out by those wanting to lead us, bringing into sharp focus the tensions that exist between those working hard and those reaping the benefits.
Little respect is shown in current political debate to those whose work benefits others. The care given, the support shown, the effort made. The nursery worker sticking with their job because it ‘makes a difference’, the nurses in understaffed wards because they cannot walk away.
Why are these examples of humanity, humility and worth not used to promote a better and fairer way of rewarding value in society? In nurseries, the value of work is held in low esteem. Perhaps ‘value’ rather than profit needs to be the defining factor in sectors that demonstrate clear social worth.
Even with the best intentions, it is becoming difficult to afford to work in the early years. Surely, it is not too much to ask for a wage that goes some way to paying the rent, feeding the family and heating the house? If it is, then we are going backwards in our evolution. There are now around 2.5 million more people using food banks regularly than there were ten years ago. Why, if you work full time, should this even happen?
Profit is not a motivator for quality because quality is more than a new building, fabric wallpaper or dividend. Quality is improvement and reinvestment, not simple monetary worth. The monetisation of every aspect of public life undervalues the commitment of those who work in service to others. For education, profit can be toxic.
Some interesting work was done by University College London earlier this year. It draws attention to the reliance of large private nursery chains on private-equity funding and the potential vulnerability this brings to the sector.
We can see from other services within the private sector how this can lead to a lack of investment, leaving the organisation in crisis when it is no longer ‘viable’. As professors Simon and Lloyd conclude, ‘The increasingly dominant role of highly indebted childcare companies, putting the system's sustainability at risk and placing childcare out of reach of low-income families…’
I have long been suspicious of public funding being used by ‘for profit’ organisations. As recently posted on Twitter: ‘Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor but because we cannot satisfy the rich [anonymous].’
