Early years education sector fights for rights in campaign
MONTESSORI teachers and others who educate young children gathered in Bray recently for the launch of the ‘Big Start campaign, calling for increased investment in the early years sector.
The meeting took place at the St Peters Parish Centre in Bray, and was the first of a series to be hosted by SIPTU around the county.
Gill Gray was among the early years service providers who attended the meeting.
‘From birth to six years of age are the most critical years of a child’s development,’ said Ms Gray. ‘Many studies have highlighted the positive affect of early years services to children’s development. However, the state fails to value and respect early years educators by underfunding the sector as a whole and expecting them to work long hours for the minimum wage.
‘ These educators have the key responsibility of moulding our children to become educated, responsible and socially adept citizens but they themselves are among the lowest paid workers of any sector. It is a nonsensical situation.’
People present heard that the average wage for early years educators is just over €10 an hour. They have to sign on during the summer months, during which they are asked if they are looking for work. Some of the educators present said that they face a number of challenges, including difficulty getting a mortgage, and that people are not encouraged to go in to the profession due to the salary available.
Primary school teacher Gemma Corcoran said that it is apparent when children come in to the primary cycle when they have received early years education beforehand. She said that speech is one of the areas in which it is most apparent. ‘I can’t understand why I am more valued than you are,’ she told the people present at the event.
SIPTU organiser, Shonagh Byrne, said: ‘ The early years sector is in crisis. Parents are paying high fees, yet providers are struggling to make ends meet and educators are under-paid and undervalued. The key message of the Big Start Campaign is that to build a quality early years sector for our children, the government needs to increase investment.’
A number of public representatives attended, including Minister Andrew Doyle, Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District Cllr Steven Matthews, Cllr Joe Behan, Cllr Tom For- tune, and Cllr John Ryan.
Mr Doyle said that he was ‘ happy to support the campaign and ensure that the issues raised stay on the political agenda’.
Cllr Behan, a retired school principal, said that he was highly impressed with the professionalism and dedication of all the people who attended the meeting. ‘I was thoroughly shocked to realise the abysmally low rates of payment in the early years sector at present,’ he said.
‘As we all know, the quality of a child’s future development is inextricably linked to the provision of excellent early years education. I believe strongly that excellent early years education is being provided but it is not valued at all by this Government.
‘I do not believe that provision of child care places is sufficient of itself. The Minister and the Government should be also committed to ensuring that the education provided at this level is excellent and is rewarded properly. This is vital both for the welfare of our children and our nation but also for the rights of the 23,000 providers and educators , the vast majority of whom are women.’
He has called on the Minister for Children Katherine Zappone and the Government to fund a salary structure for early years educators and providers and to supt providers ‘in their vital work of administration and leadership in this sector’.