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The Early Years Alliance has issued a comment on planned changes to early years staff qualification requirements, published by the Department for Education as part of a wider consultation on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework.

The move comes as the government looks to boost early years workforce numbers ahead of the planned extension of the 30-hours offer to one- and two-year-olds.

The consultation includes proposals to:

• Remove the requirement for level 3 early educators to hold a level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) maths qualification, and instead apply this requirement to managers-only.
• Introduce an ‘experience-based route’ for early educators to gain approved status to work within staff:child ratios, so that "otherwise suitable educators who don’t hold an approved level 3 qualification have a path to gaining ‘approved status’ without having to do a new qualification". 
• Where applicable, reduce the percentage of level 2 qualified staff required per ratio for children of all ages from ‘at least half’ to either 30% or 40%.
• Change the qualification requirements for ratios so that they would not apply outside of peak working hours (for example, 9am-5pm). 

Commenting on proposed changes to early years staff qualification requirements, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: 

“We’re clear that the needs of the child, and ensuring that the care and education being delivered to them is of high quality, must be at the heart of any changes to early years policy. 

“But while we recognise that some of the proposals – such as changes to maths qualification requirements – announced today have been long called for by those working in the early years, it’s hard to shake the feeling that many of the proposals have nothing to do with quality, and everything to do with a desperate attempt to boost workforce numbers ahead of the extension of the 30-hours offer. Taken together, there is a real risk that they will result in a de-professionalisation of the workforce at a time when the need for quality care and education is as high as it's ever been.

“What's more, given the decision to push ahead with relaxing ratios for two-year-olds despite almost universal opposition, we remain concerned that the government’s desire to create more ‘free childcare’ will be prioritised over and above the need to deliver quality early education opportunities, regardless of how the sector responds to the consultation. 

“We’re clear that any changes to qualifications requirements must not – and cannot – lead to a lowering of standards within the early years sector, and will fully oppose any attempts to do so.�