Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) is a professional status for practitioners at the Early Years Foundation Stage (ages 0 - 5), which is intended to be broadly equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status (ages 5 - 18) but would be specific to the precise needs of small babies and children up to six years. Introduced by the Labour Party led British government in 2007, via the Children's Workforce Development Council, EYPS courses required an Early Childhood degree (covering child development, attachment, learning and teaching theories, multi-agency working, parent partnerships, inclusive practice, etc) and included assessment of practice in early years settings.
It had been directed that by 2010, all early years children's centres (of which there were nearly 3000 in the UK) would be required to have at least one Early Years Professional (EYP), and by 2015, all full daycare settings would have been required to have at least one, which amounted to 20,000 EYPs.
Regrettably, the salary funding for Early Years Professionals was never made available to Early Years settings and following the General Election in 2010, the new Coalition Government removed the requirement for Early Years settings to employ an EYP.
During the last three years, the new Government has initiated several consultations relating to Early Years provision. Many Early Childhood Specialists and Consultants submitted reports and suggestions for areas that may be improved and developed, including how best to utilise and develop the skills of Early Years Professionals. However the Government appeared to either: ignore relevant research and guidance or attempt to introduce isolated elements of Early Years provision used in other countries but without ensuring their suitability for the UK’s Early Years sector.
The Government currently seems determined to introduce a provision based on ensuring that all children are made ‘school-ready’ by the age of five. There is minimal reference to the research based theories of ‘learning and motivating through play’, developing individual social and emotional well-being, the importance of attachment, etc. Furthermore, it appears that the relabeling of Early Years Professionals as Early Years Teachers will have no perceivable impact on their status, working conditions or pay, despite their vastly improved Early Years skills.
The Department for Education demonstrates no real comprehension of the vastly different skills required by ‘Early Years Professionals’ or ‘Early Years Teachers’ and Primary School Teachers with Qualified Teacher Status. It is true that the DfE describes the two jobs as ‘the same but different’. Both jobs are of equal importance and value to their sector however the DfE has shown minimal regard for the disparity and unfairness of the status and salary received by the two groups.
Educare establishments are under increasing pressure to provide more services for young children and their families whilst settings are receiving diminishing funds. The sector endorses the requirement for families to receive suitable support to ensure that each ‘Unique’ child is able to reach their maximum learning and well-being potential and to guarantee that interventions for additional support can be made as and when they are required. Unfortunately, these ‘principles’ of Early Years education are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
I think we are suffering from lingering sexism whereby anything to do with babies and young children is considered "woman's work" ie.of no importance and little value. People are strangely resistant to the idea that there is anything to be known about early child development . The disgracefully low pay reinforces this attitude - because people just do not respect low paid workers .The young women who come into this field are often guided to ward it because they have not done well in education so far. Thus the educational system is often recycling failures brought about by lack of good early years experience. No progress in education can be made unless this cycle is broken. Babies and toddlers are bursting with desire to learn, there is no time to be lost .We must not allow them to be stunted by prejudice and ignorance.
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