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Battle to recruit childcare teachers

WA childcare centres are struggling to compete with schools to hire qualified teachers, six months after rules came into force requiring them to employ more university-trained early childhood teachers.

Under Federal Government requirements introduced in January, all long daycare centres with 25 or more children should have at least one staff member who has or is working towards a tertiary-level early childhood qualification. But many centres have had to apply for the requirement to be waived temporarily because teachers would rather work in schools than childcare centres.

Childcare Association of WA executive officer Rachelle Tucker said many centres had been advertising for an early childhood teacher for the past two years without success.

She said teachers did not stay for long because the pay was lower than in schools, they did not get 12 weeks holiday and they had to work longer hours.

"Many early childhood teachers are not familiar with the care side of an early learning environment, such as toilet training, and find it very different to a school environment," she said.

Nicole Chemello, who has worked at Ashdale Early Learning Centre in Darch while studying for a teaching degree, said she would probably look for a job in a school after she qualified.