Qualifications call for nurseries

Services for under-fives have come under the spotlight

Higher education qualifications should be on offer for nursery nurses and childminders, according to an expert report.

A review group which was set up by the Scottish Executive has published its findings.

It recommended that qualifications should be streamlined and improved to raise the status of the profession and attract more recruits.

That could see childcare workers being able to study up to degree level.

Ministers also revealed their response to the recommendations on Thursday.

'Critical time'

The plans would see the introduction of new qualifications for managers, developing a career structure for all nursery workers and providing ongoing training and development.

Earlier this year Holyrood's education committee called for an "upskilling" of staff and more investment from the Scottish Executive.

MSPs, who spent 18 months studying services for under-fives, said children were not always getting enough support at a critical time in their lives.

Concern was voiced over moves by some councils to replace nursery teachers with less-qualified staff, particularly in deprived areas.

The MSPs also called on the executive to update its early years strategy and said childminders and "informal carers" such as grandparents needed more support.

We must all ensure that the text of this report is now backed with serious action Fiona Hyslop SNP education spokeswoman

Education Minister Peter Peacock said: "The status, recognition and professional development of nursery and childcare staff across the country will improve, giving them the opportunity to develop their expertise and build long, satisfying and rewarding careers."

However, the report dismissed the idea of having national pay rates and conditions for childcare staff.

Public sector union Unison said that finding was "deeply concerning".

Carol Ball, chair of Unison's nursery nurse working party, said: "The report recognises the need to attract and retain qualified, experienced staff, to raise the profile of the sector and that the new qualification structures will mean we need higher pay to reward workers for increasing responsibility and skill.

"It is deeply concerning, therefore, that the executive seems to have set its face against the obvious next step of a national framework of grades related to the jobs and qualifications of early years workers that, recent research has shown, vary little from area to area."

Little detail

Fiona Hyslop, Scottish National Party education spokeswoman, welcomed the report but said there was little detail on the role of nursery teachers.

She called on ministers to back a call from the committee to consider combining the initial training for teachers and early years staff.

"The SNP believe that our children should have full access to education from fully qualified nursery teachers," she said.

"We must all ensure that the text of this report is now backed with serious action."