Early Years Educator Qualification Review Opens

Early Years Educator Qualification Review Opens

The Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification has not seen a major review since 2014. The qualification which sits at the heart of the early years sector in England is critical to ensuring the existence of a high quality workforce. The government is now inviting the sector’s opinions on the qualification, in particular on the question of how many placement hours should be required and whether the maths and English skills requirement for counting towards childcare ratios is necessary.

The background to the review is of course the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis that faces the childcare sector. Policymakers must balance the needs for a skilled workforce with the urgent staffing requirements that childcare providers face. Of course quality of care must never be compromised, but as with the debacle over requiring maths and English GCSEs a few years ago, it is critical that the qualifications to not create an obstacle for candidates who do have the right skills. It is also true that childcare provision has changed over the last decade, and courses must be kept up to date with the latest needs that providers face. There is little point in a qualification that does not reflect the real world.

At the present time however, the consultation survey appears not to be accepting responses. The reason is not clear, since an end date was not given and it is rare for surveys of this kind to run for only a couple of weeks. It may well be that the political changes brought about by Boris Johnson’s resignation have meant the need for a short pause, however, the website is still live so those looking to contribute should check back regularly.

You can find the consultation response page here: https://www.ncfe.org.uk/level-3-early-years-criteria-review