Summer Born

[doodles]

The culture of English preschool provision is one of staffing by young people considered not clever enough to do much else - 'hair or care' it used to be called. I once wrote a paper about the many qualifications which can lead into a nursery career - I think there were well over 200 of them. Attempts to professionalise the sector have been hamstrung by lack of political will and lack of money. Nursery teachers can spend almost all their time filling in assessment sheets rather than working with young people. Health and safety culture means children are togged up in thick coats and high viz jackets and stood over by staff if they so much as want to go and stand in a playground, let alone actually climb on anything. Go to Denmark and look at children playing unsupervised outside, for hours at a time. Go to Sweden and see little ones out in the snow, chatting to passers by on the street. We confine and stifle our little ones and then wonder why they are disaffected by 8 and feeling like failures. .

Please don't paint all nursery schools and Early Years practitioners with the same brush.

The culture of English preschool provision is one of staffing by young people considered not clever enough to do much else - 'hair or care' it used to be called

I find that comment insulting.

[anotherdad]

I didn't find the comment insulting, it is the notion that is insulting. We (society) do undervalue the profession and the people that work in it.

[doodles]

Sorry anotherdad I disagree. As a highly qualified EYFS practitioner of many years standing and still at the coal face so to speak I did find it insulting.

[Amber]

I am sorry that you find my comments insulting. I was not in any way criticising EY practitioners and am sad if it came across that way.

My criticisms are aimed at policy and not at practitioners, who are doing what they are mandated to do by a prescriptive early years foundation stage aimed at school readiness. And the hair or care comment is not mine - it is a saying used by many who are woefully fed up of the undervaluing and under-resourcing of the sector over progressive decades. You misconstrued my remarks when actually I was suggesting that professionalisation of EY practitioners is what we should be valuing and aiming at. That there is a problem in this area is recognised and has been the subject of a wide ranging review which recognised that the variety of routes into child care meant that it was little valued and therefore under resourced, whereas in many other countries it is considered the most important role a teacher can have. It was this to which I was alluding. (Nutbrown review, 2012)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... Review.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Throughout my Review I have been struck by the professionalism and dedication of those who work with young children, and by their desire to give those children high quality experiences which enhance their lives and learning.
Alongside these positive attitudes and the very many examples of good practice I have seen during the course of my Review, I have found some things that have caused me concern. Our present qualifications system does not always equip practitioners with the knowledge and experience necessary for them to offer children high quality care and education, and to support professional development throughout their careers.

I believe the Government must have a role in demanding certain standards, and I have made recommendations for what these should be. I also believe that more can be asked of the sector in terms of a responsibility to enhance professionalism and ensure high quality provision.

Again I apologise for having offended you. As I seem to be annoying everyone on this thread I shall withdraw from it at this point.

[doodles]

Apology accepted Amber but comments like "hair or care" and "apology for forest school" were always going to rile those of us that try very hard to make pre-school the best experience for a child. Perhaps you would like to spend a day at the coal face with me, I think you'd be quite surprised!

[Amber]

Apology accepted Amber but comments like "hair or care" and "apology for forest school" were always going to rile those of us that try very hard to make pre-school the best experience for a child. Perhaps you would like to spend a day at the coal face with me, I think you'd be quite surprised!

I worked in EY for many years, and most recently spent time in an EY setting for a concentrated period last year. The phrase you dislike first came to my attention when used by the HoD in a university EY department, and it is also used very frequently among EY academics (including really eminent ones who have spent all their lives working in that field and know of its value) trying to change perceptions of EY staff and help them to be seen on an equal footing with those who teach in schools, for they/we perceive that this is not the case at present. My colleagues in EY use it in the same way that I did - to indicate that working with small children is an undervalued and under-resourced career path in this country and that that culture needs to be challenged. I would be the last person ever to criticise EY practitioners, but I will continue to criticise the culture in which they work here and the demands placed upon them - none of which I think make for the best environment for small children.

As for the Forest school thing - I apologise that that offended you also, but in a culture where health and safety are paramount, play is undervalued at systemic level and small children are not allowed to be left unsupervised, the concept as transposed into England will never bear any real resemblance to the Forest Schools after which it was named.

[doodles]

Just because such language and phrases are used by academics, even practicing ones, doesn't make it acceptable and I am not sure how they think they are going to help improve the image of the profession if they continue to use such negative language.

Perhaps being a little more positive about some of the excellent pre-school provision that IS on offer in this country would be a start. It's most definitely not all bad and not all of us undervalue play either.

Oh, and how undervalued I am is reinforced every month when I open my salary slip, I don't need an academic to tell me that one

[Amber]

Just because such language and phrases are used by academics, even practicing ones, doesn't make it acceptable and I am not sure how they think they are going to help improve the image of the profession if they continue to use such negative language.

The language has been around for a long time and is only ever used in the context of trying to raise the value put on the profession. It seems to stem from the days (1970s?) when less able girls (and it was always girls) did Child Care at school and then were encouraged to look for jobs in nurseries. The multiple pathways into EY work have reflected this history which does not mirror that in other countries, where working with small children is highly valued and seen as an excellent career choice. I am sorry you do not like the vocabulary but I have never seen it used in a pejorative way and I have already apologised for offending you with it, but I was trying to do the precise opposite from what you continue to accuse me of so I am not sure what I can do to convince you that I was trying to support, not undermine, the professionalism of EY practitioners. There have been repeated calls for one proper pathway into EY teaching and in fact I was even involved in a pilot to assess a prototype. I am a bit frustrated now as this is not my term but it is very very common. Here is a non-academic text from the Education Policy Institute, using the same term, again in such a way as to stimulate high value not criticise.

https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-res ... ce-tell-us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The high regard for the teaching profession encountered in Finland does not translate in England, the hair-or-care stereotype steers high-achieving, ambitious students away from early years teaching and devalues early years work.

While I would not use racially abusive or downright offensive language, I have never been challenged like this before on something which is in common currency and not being used in a pejorative sense. I did not invent the term and as I say, it is only ever used in support of the EY workforce.

And I said play was undervalued at systemic level not at practitioner level or nursery level. I meant by policymakers (systemic). I am not able to win here I don't think and it is my turn to get upset as I feel almost wilfully misunderstood, when I am totally on your side: so as promised, I shall withdraw.

[Guest55]

Doodles and Amber - you are agreeing with each other - don't fall out please!!

[doodles]

I think I am going to bow out of this one now and I apologise to the OP for taking her thread so off topic. Amber and I are going to have to agree to disagree about some things.

(Proffers hand for shaking )