In the papers today, the former children’s commissioner for England says that nurseries are currently facing a staff recruitment crisis due to a lack of training and low morale.
The article states that “Government Statistics show that 28% of four- and five-year-olds finish their reception year at school without the early communication, language and literacy skills they need to thrive”.
Sir Aynsley-Green said the government was ignoring new science about brain development in very young children, which shows that the brains of babies and toddlers can make thousands of new connections every minute if they are intellectually and emotionally stimulated.
He goes on to compare us with Scandinavian countries, where he states that jobs working with babies are highly sought after and most staff are graduates with higher degrees in child psychology, qualification levels for nursery workers in the UK remain low, and access to ongoing training is very limited.
He says “Staff need to be properly trained to understand babies and their brain development, and to work through the science of play,” he said. “Play is vital for babies. It’s the essence of thriving.”
Read the full article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/sep/08/childcare-experrt-call-for-inquiry-nursery-crisis
