At no point in my previous letter (2 November) did I state that I felt hard work and dedication were enough. Training is very important to our profession. What I said was that asking a playgroup manager or supervisor to be qualified to degree level was unrealistic and unnecessary. Melissa appears to have failed to take in my point which she herself has found out - namely, playgroups do not generate enough money to be able to pay staff to be qualified to this level and, as she has found out, if you pay for it yourself you cannot get a job in early years to repay that investment.
I would be interested to know how much hands-on experience a degree course involves. While working for an NVQ, a candidate is actually doing the job and not just talking about it. This means they are gaining work experience while training for a qualification. Once qualified, they are more attractive to employers as they offer both these qualities.
So please, let's not go mad. As I stated in my earlier letter, training and qualifications are vital to good early years professionals, but keep it in perspective.
Helen Gibbs, supervisor, Connaught Playgroup, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex
