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Sarah Teather Men In Early Years


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Maybe we should all send a complaint to our own MP. It might not lead anywhere but it'd make them ask her questions!

Perhaps we should get together and do one email from all of us, saying that we are not satisfied with a "round robin" reply.... or we just bombard Barry with emails!??

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I emailed my MP giving him the link to the petition and told him how appalled I was, along with others I knew at the ministers comments regarding men in the sector.

I've had a letter from him in which he says he write to her on my behalf expressing the anger I felt at the comment. He agrees that such comments are unhelpful and unwise and will tell her I felt the comment to be derogatory.

He'll let me know what she says and I can pass on any other comments I have on this matter I should contact him again because, quote 'I am always happy to ascertain the feelings of my constituents on crucial matters such as these' unquote.

He's Labour so its pretty clear why he's always happy to hear from disgruntled voters, but at least he answered. :o

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when i first read teather's comments i thought she was actually sticking up for women in early years and meant that society doesn't take any profession seriously unless it's male dominated. I haven't read the full report so i'm taking it out of context and maybe i'm just being too nice. I think that's prob the case seen as so many people saw it as her being disrespectful.

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I do see what you mean, especially as she says men will go into youth work. But she still said 'men would raise the status'. As a minister I dont want to hear her say that, I want her to say that Government will applaud the work women do and the efforts they make to improve the sector and raise the status that way. Men will go into EY then, not before.

I'm angry with her. :o

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I'm angry with her. :o

 

So am I now I've looked at it from the other point of view! If she did mean what I thought she meant she obviously worded it completely wrong!

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I emailed Sharon Hodgson who is the shadow early Years Minister, and she replied last night:

Thank you for email regarding Sarah Teather’s comments at the NDNA conference – I apologise for my delayed reply.

 

I was very surprised when I read this comment, and I completely agree with the reaction to it. I sincerely hope that it was a momentary lapse of judgement by the Minister.

 

It is clear that much more could and should be done to boost the recognition of early years professionals, but to suggest that having more men in those roles is the answer to that is frankly ridiculous. If anything, more men coming in to the profession would be a result of improving its status, rather than the reason for that improvement.

 

I don’t have many opportunities to question the Minister on the floor of the House, so may not be able to use Education Questions on 11 July to bring this up (although I will certainly consider doing so). If I am not able to do so, I will certainly write to her to ask her to clarify her remarks, and will publish the response I receive.

 

Thank you again for your email.

 

Kind regards,

 

Sharon Hodgson MP

 

We will see...Monday is the 11th so I shall be watching the Parliament channel (yawn) to see if anything is said. :o

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