Alliance comments on аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± annual report
Leading membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in in response to аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½±'s Annual Report which was published earlier today.
The report, which can be read , highlighted the severe recruitment and retention challenges the early years sector continues to face.
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± is absolutely right to highlight the acute recruitment challenge the early years sector is facing, and the significant detrimental impact this is likely to have on children’s learning and development.
“Now more than ever, it is vital that early educators are able to focus on supporting each individual child’s early learning and mitigating the ongoing effects of the pandemic. Instead, they are forced to spend more and more energy firefighting relentless staffing challenges, with many providers battling just to ensure that they have enough staff on a day-to-day basis to keep their doors open.
“What’s more, as the report highlights, every time an early educator leaves the sector, they take with them a wealth of experience and knowledge, and this is something we simply cannot afford to lose – though when you consider the long hours, ever-increasing workloads, low salaries and even lower recognition, it’s not difficult to see why those who leave choose to do so.
“Ultimately, if we are to ensure that every child gets the best possible start in life, we need a stable, experienced and committed workforce – but this will only be possible through fair pay, supported by adequate funding, and a complete change in the way we view, and value our sector. The early years has the potential to be one of the best and more fulfilling career paths, but if the government does not act urgently, we will continue to lose talented professionals – and ultimately it will be the children we care for and educate that will pay the price."