Early years childcare workers 'blighted' by poor pay » Education » 24dash.com

Workers in early childhood education and care were "blighted" by poor pay and conditions, with some earning below the national minimum wage, according to a new report today.

The Daycare Trust and the TUC said the Government had made progress in improving qualification levels in the sector, but pay rates were still poor and were unlikely to be increased without ministerial action.

The groups said in a report that there was little justification for staff to endure pay and conditions which were "dramatically" poorer than other professionals in the children's sector.

Workers such as childminders were not covered by the same enforcement of the minimum wage and other conditions as other workers, often having informal wage arrangements, said the report.

Daycare Trust joint chief executive Alison Garnham said: "To increase quality, you need to increase the skill levels of the workforce and to do that you need to offer far better pay and conditions.

"It sounds simple, and the Government clearly understand this, but unless they take note of the findings and recommendations of this report they will not achieve their aims.

"To ensure that children get the maximum benefit from early childhood education and care, staff must be offered training and qualifications and a fair and competitive rate of pay. Working with young children should be a choice not a chore."

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber added: "The report clearly illustrates that Government needs to take more direct action to tackle the low pay, conditions and status of the early years workforce.

"There is no justification for those working with younger children to endure such dramatically poorer pay and conditions than other professionals in the children's sector, and it is vital that early childhood education and care is seen as a universally attractive career option.

"As a first step, Government should set up a high level social partnership group involving Government, employers and trade unions to look at this issue and to come up with clear recommendations for improving working life for the early years workforce and their ability to deliver quality education and care for all children."

Christina McAnea of Unison commented: "Early years staff are crucial to ensuring our children get the best start in life, and it is time that the value of their work was recognised. However, this report highlights that low pay is still endemic to the sector.

"The Government needs to realise that if it wants first class education and care for children under-five it has to improve pay rates."

A spokesman for the Children, Schools and Families Department said: "Evidence from our 2007 childcare and early years providers survey tells us that pay levels have generally increased for all types of staff across all types of provider between 2006 and 2007.

"We have provided £305 million in this comprehensive spending review period through the graduate leader fund, with our aim to have a graduate Early Years Professional in every full daycare setting by 2015.

"Around 80% of the early years workforce is employed by the private, voluntary and independent sectors; however, local authorities may subsidise local salaries as part of their role in managing the early years market, supported by a sustainable core of public funding."