One of the early years practitioners (EYP) being forced to transfer from city primary schools to nurseries has claimed it will have a “devastating” impact on the pupils they help.
She also said the council’s education department had wasted money and effort training them in a new literacy programme.
The EYPs are being removed from 22 primaries as part of savings in the education budget for 2014-15. In the nurseries their wages will instead be paid by the Scottish Government.
The woman who contacted The Courier but did not want to be named, said: “I have been watching my fate unfold in the newspapers and it seems that the education department have sugar coated what is actually about to happen in the nurseries, when in fact we are not allowed to use our skills to teach reading, writing and numeracy.
“It is a different job for which we are needing training to fit into.
“We are primary educators. We have just been trained along with teachers and others at a large cost, to deliver a new reading and literacy scheme called Read, Write Inc. which is being used Dundee wide.
“What a waste of money training us. The personal unpaid time and effort put into this by EYPs and teaching team has been immense and time consuming.”
The EYP said head teachers did not want her and her colleagues to go, but were “too scared to rock the boat” as opposition to the education department’s plans would not be welcomed.
“Some of the staff who are being redeployed have been in schools up to 18 years and have never worked in nurseries,” she added.
The Government has ordered an increase in the number of hours of nursery education for three and four-year-olds, from 475 to 600.
The EYP said: “We are not saying that the increased 600 nursery hours is bad. Give these jobs to the younger, recently-qualified staff rather than us who need retrained.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “The early years practitioners will be actively involved in the development of early reading, writing and numeracy skills to children in pre-school settings as these are crucial components of the early level in Curriculum for Excellence.
“The skills and experience of the EYPs are ideally suited for work with children in a nursery setting to support and enhance their development.”