Elizabeth Truss MP
Department for Education
Castle View House
East Lane
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 2GJ
I have posted the following letter to her today, 28th August 2013:-
Dear Ms Truss,
Further to our
recent communications via Mr Graham Stuart MP, I will be most grateful if you
will in future respond directly to my communications in respect of the
difficulties currently encountered by Early Years Professionals. It seems most
impractical to involve my local MP in a matter which relates purely to the DfE
and which effectively removes his attention from more local but equally
important political matters.
I am most
appreciative of your responses to my concerns however I remain anxious that in
spite of your rhetoric, which clearly establishes the value of Early Years
Professionals and the newly titled Early Years Teachers, there remains no
conclusive decision or plan to pay these highly skilled individuals a wage
commensurate with their level of expertise and qualification. Indeed, I suspect
that many existing EYPs may well be considering leaving the sector in order to
earn a wage that can more effectively meet the financial commitments of a
family!
May I suggest that
you take a look at the disparity between the wages of teachers with QTS and
those without QTS on the document to which you refer in your last email (http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/2013%20stpcd%20master%20final.pdf). It is most apparent that there is a
difference of almost £6000. And yet, you continue to claim that EYPs and EYTs,
specifically trained to deal with the ever-changing needs of our youngest
children, are equally as important as teachers of our older children.
With respect to
your comments regarding the other options which may be available to me should I
wish to achieve QTS, I do not currently get paid a wage that can effectively
support my family, let alone support me through yet further education or
assessment to qualify to teach another age group.
I have begun to
investigate the potential to achieve QTS through the ‘assessment only’ route as
you suggest, however I am being advised that this is not available to me
locally (East Yorkshire) and that I must be able to demonstrate experience in
another age range to be accepted. I wonder if you would suggest that I give up
my relatively secure, although poorly paid, permanent job (£8.16/hour) to seek
primary school experience which will likely be at a lower pay rate and on a
temporary contract, so that I might be considered a suitable candidate to pay
approximately £2000 plus travel expenses for this route?
I must continue to
assert that my skills and training have been explicitly honed to focus on the
very different needs and education of the under 5s (as directed by the EYFS),
although I have been suitably equipped with the knowledge and understanding to
teach older children. However I must admit that I am beginning to wonder
whether my protracted qualifications, experience and skills are still
considered to be good enough?
I look forward to
your response so that I may share your comments with my fellow campaigners and
media followers.
Kind regards,
Julie Dervey
P.S. You may wish
to take a look at my Blog which relates to my campaign and the comments from
others who have signed the petition which is committed to improved conditions
for EYPs. I have provided the links below:
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I wonder if anyone reading this Blog will care to join me in mailing this MP?
Don't forget to pass on the links to the Blog and the petition whenever you can.
Many thanks Julie
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