Letters: Training dumb-down

I agree with many of Sian Nisbett's points in 'In my view' (15 November). I have been expecting this training option to happen for quite some time now, under this hypocritical current childcare strategy that the Government advisors have come up with.

How can we be raising the qualifications of our current workforce by pressuring our already experienced staff (some of whom have been in the childcare/early education sector for more than 20 years), to undertake degrees and keep on upgrading their qualifications, if we are going to have 14-year-olds 'working' alongside them.

I find the whole idea laughable and unworkable for two reasons. First, as Sian points out, the programme of study content of multiple choice questions is completely ludicrous. As both an NVQ assessor and internal verifier myself, I believe the content of study should remain - that the trainee meets the benchmark NVQ standards and their work should be of their own research and learning journey, rather than some prompts.

Second, like Sian, we take on Year 10 students as work placement for a week and the majority have seen childcare as an 'easy option'. Those in the childcare sector know that this is simply not the case.

The Early Years Foundation Stage leader will soon be required to have EYP status, managers require management qualifications to level 5 and the remaining staff should be at least qualified to level 2 and working towards level 3. Yet now 14-year-olds will be working towards the NVQ2 with no experience other than 'I love playing with children'.

Judith Baxter, manager, St Mary's Nursery, Hexham, Northumberland

Letter of the Week wins £30 worth of children's books

Send your letters to ... The Editor, Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP, letter.nw@haymarket.com, 020 8267 8402.