In the early education childcare industry, many professionals are grappling with financial hardships and stagnant career paths, thus overshadowing the satisfaction of working with children. This has been highlighted by Chloe Knox, a 23-year-old early years educator based in Dublin.
Ms Knox’s statement came to light during a staff survey held on Thursday, in which she expressed a sense of not being valued in her job. The feelings of burnout, coupled with a low remuneration and lack of proper job recognition are leading her to reconsider her long-term tenure in her current role.
“One may even liken me to a babysitter. It’s disheartening as I never signed up for this after my four years of rigorous studies,” stated Ms Knox on Thursday. To her disgruntlement, the society does not provide proper recognition to early years education. Compared to primary school teachers, early years educators are not as highly regarded. “Amid this lack of respect and underpayment, it’s normal to consider if this work really suits me despite my passion to teach and work with young kids,” she added.
This sentiment is reflected among thousands of early-years educators, who, much like Ms Knox, are contemplating stepping down from their positions, attributed to poor remuneration and adverse working conditions, as indicated by the survey.
Despite a recent rise in the minimum wage, early years educators earn €1.15 less per hour than the basic living wage, as reported by Siptu, a trade union. Even after a substantial surge in government funding directed towards wage improvement in the sector, 70 per cent of the survey participants are inclined to quit their jobs due to feeling unappreciated and fatigue. About 62 per cent struggle to make ends meet, while a significant 29 per cent barely scrape through.
Siptu national committee member, Valerie Gaynor pointed out, “We are barely staffed sufficiently. Although our educators are highly qualified, their pay does not reflect this. There isn’t a standby list in case an educator falls ill. A decent wage, something along the lines of €15 an hour, is well-deserved and is what we expect out of funding.”
Ms Knox expressed her concerns regarding the inadequate remuneration she receives, which poses a severe challenge in managing her expenses in Dublin, a city known for its high cost of living. She acknowledged the government’s investment in childcare, but felt that her profession has been neglected. Ms Knox lamented about the stress, working conditions, and burnout associated with her work. Despite having just commenced her job three months back immediately after graduating from college, she already feels drained. The only resolution she envisages is either to abandon her present sector or to relocate from Ireland.