The plans on changes to qualifications and ratios being consulted on include:
- Only requiring managers to hold a maths qualification rather than all Level 3 practitioners.
- Introducing an ‘experience based route’ to gain ‘approved status’ without having to do a qualification.
- Changing the percentage of Level 2 qualified staff required for staff: child ratios by altering the requirement that ‘at least half of all other staff must hold an approved Level 2 qualification’. The percentage could be changed to either 30 or 40 per cent to provide settings with ‘greater flexibility’.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said it was ‘hard to shake the feeling that many of the proposals have nothing to do with quality and everything to do with a desperate attempt to boost workforce numbers ahead of the 30-hours offer expansion.’
He warned that there is ‘a real risk that they will result in a de-professionalisation of the workforce at a time when the need for quality care and education is as high as it’s ever been.’
National Day Nurseries Association’s chief executive Purnima Tanuku said that any changes to the EYFS ‘must not undermine quality for practitioners and the children attending settings.’
She said they welcomed the move to improve practice-based routes and address barriers like maths qualifications, however there needs to be a long-term strategy from the Government to resolve ‘short-term crises’ as all the research shows a ‘skilled, experienced and qualified workforce has the greatest impact on a child’s outcomes and life chances.’
Early years expert Sue Cowley tweeted, ‘Honestly [sic] the gap between the rhetoric on early years – “oh it’s so important” – and actual government policy – “yeah who cares about qualifications or ratios” – is a chasm. I assume all the “evidence based” friends of govt are calling them out on this?’
Trainer and consultant, Kathryn Solly, called the proposals a ‘complete mess’ on Twitter.
‘Those causing damage to early childhood should be totally ashamed. What we need is a complete review of early childhood by experts working in the field not those with political power.’
Labour's shadow minister for children & early years, Helen Hayes, accused the Government of 'piling pressure on a broken system' and having no plan to increase the workforce.
