Shortage of teachers 'fails children in nurseries'

Published on Sunday 21 September 2008 22:01

A FALL in the number of nursery teachers could lead to the "dismantling" of the whole pre-school education system, teaching leaders warned.

The SNP government promised to provide every nursery-age child with access to a fully qualified nursery teacher in its 2007 party election manifesto.

However, figures obtained by The Scotsman show the number of registered teaching staff in nurseries has actually dropped since the SNP came to power.

Scottish Government figures show there were 2,110 General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) registered teachers working in pre-school centres last year, compared to 2,105 this year. In 2004 the figure was 2,307.

The proportion of staff who are registered nursery teachers has dropped from 22 per cent in 1999 to 19 per cent this year. However, the percentage of centres with access to teaching staff rose from 54.6 per cent last year to 65.6 per cent.

As there are fewer pre-school teachers, this indicates nursery teachers are being employed on an irregular or part-time basis rather than full-time in one establishment.

More than 96 per cent of eligible children are registered for pre-school education in Scotland.

Teachers' leaders said the new funding deal for councils was responsible for the falling numbers.

Ronnie Smith, general secretary of the EIS, Scotland's biggest teaching union, said: "There are now clear signs that some local authorities are abusing the greater autonomy provided under their concordat with the Scottish Government to dilute the quality of nursery education that they provide.

"An increasing number of local authorities are stripping out qualified teachers from their nursery schools and classes and substituting them with lower-paid non-teaching staff."

Mr Smith added: "Quite simply, some local authorities and the Scottish Government are, in concert, presiding over the dilution – in some areas the dismantling – of one of the most valuable and successful strands of Scottish education."

Karen Whitefield, Labour spokeswoman for children and early years, said after a year in government the SNP had failed to deliver on the key manifesto pledge.

A Scottish Government spokesman said it was committed to providing access to a teacher for every pre-school child. He added: "This is reflected in the concordat with local government which makes clear our commitment for progress to be made on this as quickly as possible."

FACTBOX

&#149 UNLIKE the growing number of nursery nurses in Scotland, a nursery teacher must have the same degree-level qualification as a primary school teacher.

&#149 Nursery teachers earn between 20,000 to 32,000 a year and work with children aged over three in the two years leading up to the start of primary school.

&#149 They are trained to help children develop socially, emotionally and physically as well as ensuring they have good enough language, literacy and numeracy skills to start primary school.

&#149 They work to the National Curriculum and are responsible for planning and preparing activities, working with parents, and identifying and recording any problems in a child's development.

Nursery nurses earn 11,000 to 15,000 and supervise play and work activities to help children learn and develop.