Government climbs down on childcare entry standards

The government announced last year that from 1 August 2015, all early years Level 3 apprentices would need English and maths GCSEs at grade C or above to start their course.

The idea was opposed by many in the sector who said it would leave the majority of students unable to progress from Level 2 in their career.

But childcare minister Sam Gyimah today announced that apprentices will have to achieve the standard by the end of their training.

“Unnecessary barriers shouldn’t stop skilled people joining the workforce, and it makes much more sense to have an exit standard rather than a barrier to entry,” Gyimah said.

“That’s why I’m pleased to say that we will offer people the chance to study their maths and English GCSEs alongside their childcare apprenticeship training.

“All the evidence shows that the higher the quality of childcare, the higher the quality of a child’s learning and development.”

He added: “That’s why it’s imperative that childcare workers have crucial literacy and numeracy skills needed to give every child the best possible start in life.”

The Pre-school Learning Alliance is now calling on the government to review its current stance on accepting equivalent qualifications, as well as eligibility criteria for learners undertaking standalone Early Years Educator (EYE) qualifications.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the alliance, said: “We would urge the government to review its current stance on GCSE equivalents, such as functional skills qualifications, given that the majority of early years employers agree that such qualifications are a valid demonstration of competency in English and maths.

“A decision not to accept equivalent qualifications is likely to lead to significantly fewer qualified employees in the workforce, at a time when the government is actually looking to expand early years provision in this country.

“Additionally, the fact that this decision only currently applies to EYE qualifications undertaken as part of an apprenticeship risks creating an unbalanced position where practitioners wanting to undertake an EYE as a standalone course will still be required to have GCSEs on entry.

“In the interests of fairness and consistency, we would urge the government to reconsider its position on this issue.”

Stewart Segal, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), said it is pleased the government has changed its mind.

“AELP had provided evidence that this proposal was creating a real barrier to entry for many young people which had reduced the number of entrants to the sector when employers needed more recruits than ever, particularly in the light of the government’s plans to double the amount of free childcare for working parents,” he said.

“This decision is welcome, but we believe the drive to improve English and maths should include functional skills as a high-quality alternative to GCSEs.”