The Argument for EYTS in Every Setting.

There’s a lot in the news about the aim to have an EYT in every Early Years setting by the year 2020. Not the first time this has occurred, nor was it that long ago that this was the aim. In fact that’s why I did my degree and EYPS ending in 2010. As a manager/owner, I thought if this does come into being, there was one way of guaranteeing somebody in the setting had the qualification, was to do it yourself!

What saddens me that some EYTS on social media have felt other professionals have attacked the EYT qualification and all those who hold it, however, I can also understand the threat this poses to the profession as so many dedicated level 3 practitioners deliver excellent Early Years care and education.

So these are my thoughts-in an ” interview myself” style!

Am I glad I did EYPS?

Yes, at the time it was an opportunity to update and better my qualification. It took a year for me to get my head around it and apply, I needed to get a degree first, and I was in the second half of my 40’s.

Has it made a difference to what I do?

Not so much what I do, but the conviction of the power of learning through play is more secure. I have more confidence in what I do is right. There are a few things I may do better, but for me the biggest advantage was confidence, after all, my NNEB was in 19??zzz!

Do I feel it’s essential for every setting to have an EYP/T?

No, there are so many excellent practitioners out there who provide fantastic learning opportunities for children, do plenty of training, keep up to date with latest research…the list is endless.

What do I think of the relaunch of an EYT in every setting?

Those who know me know I believe in high quality EY settings, I’m a huge fan of CPD, which I think is more important than EYT. Subsidising good CPD for all practitioners could have a bigger impact on the quality of settings, helping us all drive high/er standards. I feel the proposed policy to have an EYT in every setting threatens the viability of PVIs which could backfire with the demise of childcare places, which is maybe why they ditched the idea last time!

Would I recommend doing EYT?

Its personal! It took me a while as I said to get in the right mind set to take on the challenge of 3 years study, plus work, plus 2 children. For some, it may not be possible to embark on this lengthy process for a variety of reasons. But if you get the urge, go for it. It may give you security the next time they throw this one out there!

Who is best?

If you are dedicated, put your all into your job, believe in CPD and constant improvement to drive high quality, you have the most important attributes, whether leve 3 or EYT. We’re all in this together, we can all learn from eachother, we all have the same goal.