The decree published in the Official Journal on Thursday August 4 will come into force on August 31. But it is already creating concern among early childhood professionals. Because it provides for the possibility for all nurseries to recruit people without all the required qualifications. A measure which aims to deal with the shortage of staff in nurseries.
According to a survey by the National Family Allowance Fund published at the beginning of July, 48.6% of the 8,000 responding establishments declared a lack of staff for children. The poisoning of a baby in Lyon in June shed light on the critical situation in this sector, which is struggling to encourage vocations and recruit.
It had been a few months since the collective “Pas de bébés à la consigne”, which brings together unions and professional organizations in the early childhood sector mobilized to defend better working conditions, awaited the ministerial decree published last week. The renewal of the list of diplomas and certifications for working in a crèche was deemed essential.
However, several derogations darken the picture, according to Emilie Philippe, member of the collective: “He there is an article which authorizes, in a local context of shortage of professionals, so in other words, it can be anywhere in the country, to derogate from the list of diplomas and certifications required“Thus, nurseries will be able, exceptionally, to resort to hiring people”without any qualification“, worries Emilie Philippe who judges the measure “no way appropriate“.
The decree provokes among many professionals the fear of a discount reception. The collective asked to revalue and deepen the training, rather than “drag down the profession“Emilie Philippe has another derogation in sight, that of article 3 of the decree: support for people in employment for 120 hours.”On will ask professionals who are already understaffed to become trainers for people who know nothing about child development“, she laments.
For other professionals, these 120 hours of training or the use of non-graduates devalue the world of early childhood. The measure makes Jérôme Dumortier, director of the “Les Souriceaux” nursery, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq in the North, jump. Anyone who has been trained as an educator of young children, i.e. a diploma issued three years after the baccalaureate, fears this lack of training. “During my three years, I did not do anything. I learned a lot in terms of child health, development and child psychology. Things that are essential to accompany a child in his daily life, in an early childhood structure“, blows this professional.
“The message sent to society is a disaster in the sense that working with young children has to be learned. It cannot be given to just anyone. If there is training, it is that there is a reason”.
Jérôme Dumortier, director of a crèche in Villeneuve-d’Ascqfranceinfo
Jérôme Dumortier assures him, he will be one of the professionals who will not resort to non-graduates, even if he lacks today a person to properly run his crèche.