Improved skills, improved quality, still the same low pay for those working in the early years
The importance of high-quality care and education for children in the early years is highlighted as being more important than ever. Early years advocates are urging practitioners and managers to become highly skilled and increase their qualifications, but where is the motivation and the return?
Old classic childcare theory and more recent research all detail the importance of development in those first years of a child’s life. The figures are startling as to the impact of receiving little or low-level care and education within the first five years of a child’s life. It can set a child up to achieving wonderful things. Achieving a good level of development across the EYFS by the age of five could now be seen as one of the most important milestones and achievements a child must gain.
With more and more children becoming eligible for funding and more parents returning to work after maternity more children are spending time in childcare settings. This job which used to be primarily the role of the mother is now being passed on to childcare workers, however with all this responsibility placed on practitioners who need to fill that position as well as look after a certain ratio of children. Normally practitioners take on the role of looking after three under ones or 4 under two-year-olds. This is a big pressure and one of high importance, yet the pay does not reflect this.
Upskilling
Bearing this in mind it is, therefore, easy to see why there is so much emphasis on upskilling the early year’s workforce. Many argue you do not need highly intelligent practitioners to teach children under the age of five, and that new legislation such as the minimum G.C.S.E requirements are unnecessary as you do not need to be able to teach level 2 mathematics and English to children in the foundation stage.
This may be true however figures show the most graduate leaders there are in early years settings, the higher the quality the provision becomes. With higher quality provision the number of children achieving a good level of development rises.
It could, therefore, be suggested that other qualifications such as G.C.S.E are irrelevant but further early years training, and expertise is crucial. With it being crucial that as many practitioners as possible take the leap and gain further early years qualifications, and with it being vital for children’s development and future that this happens, there should be more incentive for practitioners to do this.
The same low pay
To become a graduate leader it takes around two years of study to gain and level 3 and then a further three years to gain a level 6. Depending on the route chosen this may be slightly longer or shorter however it is a lot of time and money to invest on gaining the most knowledge possible around the early year’s sector. Many are reluctant to dedicate the time and put themselves through pressure knowing that if they chose to remain working in the early years, it would see very little financial return. With many practitioners regardless of qualification earning the same as those in unskilled and unqualified job positions.
It would be unfair and unrealistic to charge working parents anymore then nursery fees already are to pay practitioners more money It would also put a huge strain on nursery owners to pay a great deal more than they already do and could even lead to the settings having to close down. It is, therefore, the responsibility of government to see the early year’s education as equal to primary school education and to start paying fairly and contributing to upskilling the workforce and paying towards their wage.