Children in childcare deserve 100%
In order to constrain public expenditure, the 2010 budget contained massive changes to the way in which early childhood education was funded. The changes will have repercussions to the quality of services across New Zealand. We're calling together our members, teachers in the sector and the parents who will be most affected by the cuts to let government know what this means.
What is Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa/NZ Childcare Association calling for?
We want the government to ensure the following for our early childhood services -
- Reinstatement of the subsidies for 100% qualified teachers
- The government to legislate the 80% qualified teacher target
- Reinstatement of the previous funding subsidies for early childhood education
These mechanisms help maintain the standard of quality in early childhood services. Quality early childhood ensures the best possible start for our children.
What is quality early childhood education?
Research shows quality early childhood education makes a positive difference. The effects of ECE last as long as the teen years. Quality early education means qualified teachers, good teacher-child ratios and small group sizes.
What is the situation with qualified teachers now?
The government and sector developed a strategic plan for ECE. The plan includes targets to increase qualified teachers from one person, to 50% of teachers then to 80% to 100%.
Over two thousand services reached 80% and over 900 services reached 100%. As a result of Budget 2010, these services will have their funding cut.
What happened in the 2010 budget?
The government is reducing public expenditure by investing less in early childhood education. It doesn't believe that all ECE teachers should be qualified and suggests centres should replace some teachers with unqualified staff, or pass costs to parents.
This assumes that parents using childcare are able to pay more.
What does this mean for my family?
The quality of our ECE will be eroded as the teaching workforce gets ‘dumbed down’. If parents want quality, they will be expected to pay more.
What can I do?
Join us in advocating for 100% qualified teachers and the reinstatement of funding subsidies which make this possible. Write to your MP and government, tell them that this decision will affect your vote. Join our facebook group and tell us what you think, the more supporters we have, the more powerful our voice.
Download and use our advocacy letters - send them to your local MP and central government. Let them know how the cuts will affect you. These letters are proformas. Simply fill in the blanks and send them on.
Parent letters
Letter from a parent to local MP (*.doc)
Letter from a parent to local MP requesting a meeting (*.doc)
Letter from a parent to Hon Anne Tolley MP (*.doc)
ECE Centre letters
Letter from centre to local MP (*.doc)
Letter from centre to Anne Tolley MP (*.doc)