COUNCILS across Scotland have been cutting the number of nursery teachers they employ in a bid to save cash.
Education and schools generally form the largest part of council budgets so when local authorities face financial issues, such as Aberdeen and Glasgow, it is an area vulnerable to cuts.
Glasgow City Council has already been criticised by teachers'
unions for replacing nursery teachers with nursery nurses, who are paid less and although well-trained do not hold teaching degrees.
Children's minister Adam Ingram had a warning for local authorities who flouted the Scottish Government's policies and the outcomes agreed to in the concordat funding deal.
He described the policies as popular with voters and said they would likely become disillusioned with Labour as shown by the Glasgow East by-election, if they continued.
He said: "Councillors in Glasgow have to take on board that they are accountable to their electorate and people will be comparing the provision that is available elsewhere with their own provision."
Edinburgh City Council this week revealed it had placed a freeze on recruitment of all nursery staff in the light of plans to close schools to fill a financial black hole.
A council spokeswoman said: "It is normal practice during a period of potential change to hold vacancies for a limited period of time.
"We anticipate that there may be some redeployment. We are trying to ensure that any staff member involved is given the best possible opportunity to move into a suitable position.
"We are consulting fully with the unions regarding this process."
BACKGROUND
NURSERY teachers hold the same degree in education as primary teachers with salaries starting at £24,501 and rising to £32,583.
Nursery nurses' salaries start at around £15,000.
As well as education to degree standard, nursery teachers also serve a year's probation before becoming fully registered with the General Teaching Council Scotland.
Nursery nurses undergo a shorter college course but do not have a national pay scale so pay varies across the country depending on the council.
Teachers are more focused on cognitive development and learning while nurses focus on care, although they do effect learning through play.
An HMIe report in 2007 said meeting children's needs is better in centres with a teacher than in those without.
The full article contains 389 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
