How do the people who care for our youngest children feel about their own status? The OECD's TALIS Starting Strong 2024 survey put this question to the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce. ECEC covers childcare and preschool settings.
It surveyed staff in under-3 settings and in pre-primary settings, which typically care for children aged 3-6. The survey covered 17 countries and subnational entities. The article does not give the number of staff surveyed. It reports staff views, not children's results.
Hugs at the door, but little recognition beyond it
In every country except Japan, more than 80% of staff said they feel valued by parents or guardians, in both under-3 and pre-primary settings. Close to 100% felt valued by children, except in Japan (65%).
Feeling valued by society was a different story. In pre-primary settings in Colombia and Morocco, and at both levels in Israel, at least seven out of ten staff felt valued by society. In pre-primary settings in Chile, Japan, Norway and Sweden, and at both levels in Ireland, fewer than one in three did.
The author suggests why. Staff see visible, immediate impact and build close bonds with families. Beyond the centre, they are often seen as caregivers rather than skilled professionals, and pay and public visibility are low. Even so, ECEC staff generally felt more valued by society than lower secondary teachers. In the Flemish Community of Belgium, Israel, Spain and Türkiye, they were twice as likely to say so.
When staff feel undervalued, centres can struggle to keep good people
The author warns that low recognition, together with dissatisfaction over pay, makes it harder to attract and keep staff. He links this to shortages, high turnover and lower morale, which affect how consistent and good children's care is.
ECEC leaders named staff shortages as the main cause of lower-quality environments. In Germany and Norway (both levels) and in Ireland and New Brunswick (Canada) for under-3 settings, more than half of centres struggled to maintain quality. They cited too few staff for the number of children, or frequent absences.
One finding stands out. Staff who felt less valued by society tended to have more years of experience and higher qualifications. The author says this is not certain, but centres may be losing some of their best people. This is a survey of opinions, so it cannot prove that dissatisfaction causes people to leave.
Career ladders: what the better-scoring places had in common
Colombia, the Flemish Community of Belgium, Morocco and Spain have somewhat managed to build a more structured career path in pre-primary education. Roles such as lead educator or family engagement coordinator come with higher pay, autonomy and responsibility. In these places, staff were less likely to consider leaving the sector. They also reported feeling more valued by society and more satisfied with their salary. This is an association, not proof that career ladders caused the difference.
The author also suggests pools of qualified replacement staff to cover maternity leave and family caregiving absences. He suggests encouraging more men into the profession, flexible parental leave for both parents, and public awareness campaigns about the importance of ECEC.
These are recommendations for policymakers, not steps parents can take. The article does not say whether Singapore was among the countries surveyed, and it gives no Singapore figures. What it does show is that staff who feel respected by families can still feel overlooked by society, and that this can affect children's care.