Teachers should be encouraged to work in nurseries, an education expert has recommended a year after a Tayside council dumped qualified professionals out of pre-schools.
The Scottish Government- commissioned review found early-years carers have the fewest qualifications and lowest pay in the childcare sector.
These carers look after children at the most important developmental stage of their lives and should be paid at least the living wage and have appropriate qualifications, the Independent Review of the Scottish Early Learning and Childcare Workforce and Out of School Care Workforce advised.
In the report, early-years expert Professor Iram Siraj urged ministers to “support and develop the role of appropriately qualified teachers working within ELC (Early Learning and Childcare) settings, moving their professional relationships with the rest of the ELC in positive directions”.
“If the role of the teacher working face-to-face with children under five years is to continue, there will need to be additional agreements regarding flexibility of working conditions.”
Nursery teachers were pulled from Angus pre-school classrooms last summer as part of a cost saving initiative similar to an axing of teachers in nurseries that had previously taken place in Dundee.
Education Secretary Angela Constance announced £1 million to implement some of the review’s recommendations as Ms Siraj has outlined a 15-year vision to reform Scotland’s childcare workforce.
Trade union Unison said Scotland’s children cannot wait 15 years and urgent reform is needed now, and teachers’ union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said having properly trained professionals in nurseries is “crucial”.
The report found that many care providers are paying little more than the minimum wage and the number of qualified early-years teachers is decreasing.
Poor pay and training was more prevalent in the private sector and the report found a migration of carers to public-sector work following the Scottish Government’s decision to increase free childcare for three and four-year-olds.
Ms Constance said: “The early years are a crucial point in a child’s development, therefore it is vital that we invest in those tasked with caring for and educating our young children.”
Scottish Conservative young people spokeswoman Liz Smith said: “At present, the system is failing children and it is failing parents. We believe that must change.”
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “There is substantial international evidence confirming the importance of teacher involvement in nursery schools and classes.”