Warning over childcare training changes

Childcare lecturer Guy Stoate, who is president of University and College Union Cymru and the husband of Welsh Assembly Government cabinet minister for environment Jane Davidson, says the changes will leave students with little time to fully understand child protection issues.

From September, current childcare qualifications are set to be scrapped and replaced with a single Level 3 qualification.

But Stoate says that under the current training students receive 1,100 teaching hours, compared with just 300 under the new qualification.

He said: "How can students, many of whom are 16 years old, possibly acquire the detailed knowledge and understanding of child protection in such a short space of time? The simple answer is that they can't."

The plans have already been delayed a year in Wales and Stoate is calling on the Assembly Government to delay the plans further to ensure any changes to training guarentee child protection remains a priority.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokeswoman said no decisions had been made regarding the changes.

She said: "The minister has asked for further discussions on childcare qualifications with his officials to discuss these concerns. We want to be clear that the Welsh Assembly Government would not implement any changes that would put children and young people in danger."