Variety of staff members can boost learning
BY MAGGIE RITCHIE YOUNG children need to see people like themselves when they step into a nursery.
That’s the message from Khadija Mohammed, who heads up childhood studies at the University of the West of Scotland.
“We need early years workers from all walks of life so our nurseries better reflect our diverse society,” she said.
“Just now, working with young children is seen as a caring job for women but it’s a rewarding and important role and I would like to see more men go into it, as well as people from black ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, adult returners to education and career changers.
“It’s so valuable to have diversity in early years learning – it gives the children an all-round experience and gives them more confidence when they see their own family and community reflected in the adults around them at nursery.
“It’s important to have more black ethnic minority early years practitioners as they bring their culture and language to the job and enrich the nursery.
“It’s also powerful when an early years practitioner can speak to a parent in their own language.”
There’s a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for early years practitioners at the university. Khadija is already seeing an increase in the number of male students doing the BA Childhood Studies Honours degree, and she has recruited a male lecturer.
She said: “Many children grow up without a positive male role model, so we would like to see more men becoming early years practitioners.
“It is rewarding to be able to share in a young child’s journey and learning about themselves, to support them and have a positive impact.
“Those early years are fundamental in a child’s development. It’s when children’s identities are evolving.
“That’s why it’s so important that young children can see people who look like them. Research shows they do better when they see people around them who are like them.”
Find out how you can get involved in the Early Years sector at earlyyearsscotland.org