Union Anger At Axed Nursery Posts

The number of nursery jobs axed by local councils has been criticised by Scotland’s largest teaching union. In the past year, 120 teaching posts have been cut in nursery schools across the country, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said. The union believes having qualified teachers in a nursery setting is the best way to give children a good start.

EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith described the cuts as “purely a budget saving device”. He added: “With all the weight of evidence pointing to the value of nursery education, it is perverse that local councils should now be reducing the number of nursery teachers working in their area. At the same time as the numbers of children aged three to five in pre-school education are increasing, the number of teaching posts is being cut.”

The union has accused local authorities and the Scottish Executive of failing to invest in proper pre-school provision and plans to campaign on behalf of nursery teachers in the run up to Scottish parliamentary elections next year.

Mr Smith said: “The removal of nursery teachers is purely a budget saving device. It is a false economy because increasingly children will lose out on the benefits which quality nursery education can bring.” He added the union would be “seeking assurances from all political parties” as to how they see the development of nursery education in the future.

The Curriculum for Excellence, a partnership of all the main education bodies in Scotland, was set up in 2004 with the aim of making the link between nursery and primary school smoother.

Mr Smith said: “It is difficult to see how real continuity can be maintained while nursery teachers are being removed from pre-five settings.”