Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s interim report into early years qualifications found careers guidance for students with poor grades is steered by a "hair or care stereotype".

[mrz]

www.cypnow.co.uk/go/news/article/1121961/nutbrown-brands-childcare-courses-poor-quality/

Despite the fact early years professionals need good levels of numeracy and literacy to effectively support children and their parents, Nutbrown warned that "there are few learning routes that demand these in order to begin or complete a course".

Yup.

Prof Nutbrown asked for opinions through a Nursery worker's website. I said that standards of qualifications have slipped. I took 2 years and had placements at 6 settings before I got my qualification. 4 people out of 25 failed to finish the course. The next year it was over 10 out of 25 who didn't finish. Nowadays you can get the same level qualification in 9 months while working at a single setting with a day per week at college. It's about getting people through rather than letting them sink or swim.
You get some good qualified staff now, but you also get some totally useless ones.

Agree. The head teacher at DD's school said much the same thing at the options evening- that the less academic could choose vocational courses like hairdressing and childcare. I felt like punching him
This attidute is still reflected in the quality of students we get on placements from school and even more so by local training providers. Young people are being trained at level 1 in childcare- what use is that? That is not going to get them a job, although the training provider is getting paid for training that young person.