At their annual conference, members of the education union Voice votedin favour of a motion to throw out the requirement to have at least oneteacher leading the EYFS in maintained nursery schools and classes.
Deborah Lawson, who proposed the motion, said, 'As a nursery nurse Icould go on and get my early years degree and gain EYPS. It will notimprove my career prospects, unless I want to become a teacher, or myterms and conditions of employment and subsequent reward. Why? Becausewe still lack a qualification framework linked to a career structure andterms and conditions, and which ensures parity across professions.'
Ms Lawson gave the example of an experienced and well-qualified managerof a nursery unit in a maintained school who had written to the union tosay that her job could be under threat because she was not ateacher.
From September, to comply with EYFS regulations, the nursery unit wouldhave to employ a teacher or become the responsibility of the receptionclass teacher, 'who may or may not receive additional financial reward',she said.
Conference delegates called on the Government to give 'due recognitionand reward' to experienced nursery staff in schools who do not havequalified teacher status and to those with Early Years ProfessionalStatus.
They also urged the Children's Workforce Development Council to reviewthe training and qualifications framework for childcare and early yearsstudents.
Nursery nurse Gail Holland, who proposed the motion, told theconference, 'We are increasingly finding that the educational entrylevel for trainees is abysmal.'
A DCSF spokesman said, 'We now have 73 per cent of those working in fullday care settings qualified to A-level or GNVQ Avanced standard, and wehave invested 250m from 2006-2008 to improve qualificationlevels.'