A report commissioned by the Government on early years education in England has said that nursery staff should have A-level standard professional qualifications to improve the standard of care offered to young children, according to the BBC.
Professor Cathy Nutbrown, who ran the review, said the current early years qualification is not “equipping practitioners with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need” to give young children a proper start.
“That is why I want the workforce to really understand child development, the importance of play, and have good English and maths skills,” she said.
Charity 4Children has said that cost will be a major issue.
To coincide with the Nutbrown report, the Government has also launched the Childcare Commission to review making childcare more affordable by cutting red tape for nannies and childminders to allow them to look after more children.
Government research has identified childcare as one of the top concerns for families, with six out of 10 parents saying there is sufficient childcare in their area, reports the BBC.
The commission will look at deregulation and how to expand wrap-around care schemes run by some academies and free schools to the rest of the country. This could see schools staying open until 8pm to help working parents, according to The Telegraph.
Many families are spending up to a third of their income on childcare, four times more than families in Germany.
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