Qualified nursery practitioners study hard, work hard, and plan effective play- based practice, but because our piece of paper does not say 'teacher'
or 'graduate', we are the underclass.
As a lot of classes in primary schools are now supervised by unqualified people, so teachers can have non-contact time, how is it right to once again belittle the work the nursery workforce does by insisting that all full-time settings are graduate-led?
I studied hard for three years part-time to obtain my HND in Early Years and Childcare so that the children in my care and the staff in my team are managed by someone with the paper to back up my 22 years' experience. Was that a waste of time and energy, or are we going to be recognised for our work?
Policymakers should give us a break and let us work with the new agendas, including children's centres and Birth to Three Matters, for at least five years before slamming us with more changes.
Carol Webb, Busy Bees Pre-School, Blackpool
