In a speech yesterday, Minister of State
for Schools David Laws MP said that a Liberal Democrat government
would ensure early years teachers can secure better pay, as well as
Qualified Teacher Status, if the party is elected in 2015. This
pledge adds to the Lib Dem’s other election proposals for the early
years, which include making all two-year-olds eligible for free
childcare and increasing the Early Years Pupil Premium to £1,000
per child per year.
Commenting on these proposals, PACEY Chief
Executive Liz Bayram said:
"We very much welcome David Laws' comments
recognising the fantastic contribution that childcare professionals
make. When so much of recent debate has focused on the cost of
childcare, it is heartening to hear quality taking a centre stage.
Our members would wholeheartedly agree that they remain undervalued
and poorly rewarded in comparison to other professions.
"Expanding the Early Years Pupil Premium
and supporting Qualified Teacher Status are welcome steps. PACEY
has long been calling for a national workforce development strategy
that recognises childcare professional's vital contribution and
supports their continuous professional development (CPD). With more
and more responsibility being placed on childcare professionals,
most recently with the integrated review and SEND requirements,
they deserve support to remain up to date and deliver high quality
services.
"Local authority support has disappeared
for all settings except those that require improvement, so a
renewed focus on the development of this key community of
professionals is much needed. We know at PACEY that new technology
and peer support can provide a wealth of accessible and appropriate
CPD for busy childcare professionals - and it does not necessarily
require significant financial investment.
"We look forward to engaging with all
political parties in the run-up to next year's election to persuade
them of the value of investing in the early years workforce. It's
the best way to ensure families have the choice of high quality
childcare in a range of settings that suit their individual
needs."
Follow this link to read
Minister Laws’ full speech.
28/11/2014