June O'Sullivan, chief executive of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), is calling on the sector to take over the early years debate on 1 June in reaction to the minister for education and childcare Elizabeth Truss's 'ill-informed and contradictory facts', which she says beg the sector to tell its story.
Writing on her blog, LEYF's chief executive says, 'Our minister has done us a favour, although she may not have realised it. She has thrown down the gauntlet by challenging the sector, so now we need to take control of our own destiny.'
She adds, 'I suggest we make 1 June, Children's Day, our day to Take Over the Early Years Debate. We need to start working together across the UK to make our voices heard: to explain what we do, what quality means and why early years is not a political football but a serious matter - one led by serious people with a serious message.'
Ms O'Sullivan goes on to list the challenges and contradictions that she says the sector needs to address.
She says Elizabeth Truss's criticism of nurseries where there is 'no sense of purpose' goes against the Government's aim to get more people in work, particularly women. She adds further remarks made by the childcare minister that nurseries do not provide good enough care because they employ unqualified staff do not stand up because the Government allows academies to employ unqualified teachers.
As well as this, she says, Ofsted is downgrading nurseries at the same time as the Government is bringing in free childcare places for disadvantaged two-year-olds, delivered in good or outstanding settings.
The challenges listed on Ms O'Sullivan's blog include the transferral of local authorities' early years quality improvement role to Ofsted, Government plans to relax childcare ratios and the introduction of childminding agencies.
She concludes, 'As a sector we need to explain this to the public. It's time we cut off a little oxygen to our minister and held the stage ourselves. We must be calm, grown-up and informed.'
Ms O'Sullivan told Nursery World, 'We need to reclaim our role as early years leaders. The sector needs to be coherent and say, "We're not rubbish."
'Everybody feels the need to do something and unusually there is no split in the sector as we are all concerned with the same thing - the best interests of the child.'
As Nursery World went to press, Ms O'Sullivan's blog had received 92 comments. Those supporting her call for action include the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY), Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA), the UK Childminding Association (UKCMA) and early years trainer Kathy Brodie, as well as Jennie Johnson of Kids Allowed and Sarah Steel of the Old Station Nursery group.
Ms O'Sullivan has also set up a campaign group on Linkedin entitled Reclaim Early Years for professionals in the sector who are frustrated with the Government's proposed changes.
Catherine Farrell, joint chief executive of PACEY, said, 'I wholeheartedly agree with June's arguments and think more must be done to ensure there is a balanced discussion in the media. For too long it has been one-sided and PACEY therefore welcomes this move to open up debate on the proposed changes.
'June's point about acting as calm, grown up and informed adults is key. It is vital to consult and listen to everyone affected by these changes. With such an important debate, there will always be different ideas and suggestions put forward. So we must work together to challenge assumptions and ensure everyone recognises the long-term implications of the proposed changes.'
PLA's Neil Leitch said, 'As always, June has articulated the mood of the sector and her call to action gets my vote. Perhaps the minister's mis-informed comments have been a blessing in disguise as they have helped the sector remember its common purpose -the children.'
In reaction to Ms O'Sullivan's blog, a Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said, 'All the evidence shows standards and safety in nurseries and other early years settings are linked to high-quality staff.
'Only high-quality providers will be able to take advantage of the flexibility that our reforms on ratios offer - which countries like France and Denmark already use successfully. The OECD has said that staff qualifications are the best predictor of the quality of early childhood education and care. Indeed, many of the largest childcare providers in England already operate higher ratios in Ireland and Scotland, but no one is suggesting quality has suffered there as a result. Of course, it will ultimately be up to professionals to decide what is best for the children they look after and up to parents which settings they choose.'
Ms O'Sullivan's call to take over the early years debate comes amid a growing storm of protest from the workforce in response to Government proposals in More Great Childcare and the childcare minister's comments that nurseries 'are breeding a generation of toddlers with no manners.'
Last week, the UK's parenting networks Mumsnet and Netmums gave their support to the PLA's Rewind on Ratios campaign, whose e-petition now has more than 10,000 signatures, the number required for a response from the relevant Government department.
Mr Leitch has subsequently written to the DfE to demand a detailed reply.
In the letter, Mr Leitch asks the DfE to fully address the concerns of parents and practitioners and not to issue a 'standard pre-packaged statement', given the level of opposition to the proposals. He also asks for the response to confirm what research the department has undertaken on the outcomes of lower staff:child ratios used in other OECD countries.
In April, the shadow children's minister Sharon Hodgson MP tabled amendments to the Children and Families Bill to protect current ratios. However, Committee MPs voted against the proposals.
- June's Blog www.leyf.org.uk/blog/
TIMELINE
29 January: The Department for Education publishes More Great Childcare. Reaction from the sector to the proposals is largely negative.
6 February: Childminder Penny Webb launches a petition against changes to childcare ratios. Days later, Ms Webb and a number of other childminders are blocked from following Elizabeth Truss on Twitter.
8 February: The childcare minister faces a grilling by parents on Mumsnet during a live webchat.
11 February: Three petitions against proposed changes to ratios, including one for parents by the Pre-School Learning Alliance, gain more than 50,000 signatures.
1 March: The Pre-School Learning Alliance lodges an online petition on the Government's e-petitions website calling for a halt to the plans to relax childcare ratios, as part of a wider campaign.
19 March: Professor Cathy Nutbrown criticises the Government's proposals, claiming that they 'will shake the foundations of quality provision for young children'.
18 April: During a debate at the committee stage to discuss the Children and Families Bill shadow children's minister Sharon Hodgson MP tables amendments to protect the current ratios, but the proposals are voted down.
29 April: Mumsnet and Netmums join the fight against the childcare minister's ratio plans and pledge their support to the PLA's campaign.
1 May: The Pre-School Learning Alliance's e-petition against changes to ratios reaches 10,000 signatures. The Alliance's chief executive Neil Leitch writes to the Department for Education urging a detailed response to address concerns of the sector and parents.
