30th June 2011
For USE 1 July 2011

Day of Action against early childhood cuts

Early childhood centres around the country will take part in a National Day of Action against the government’s cuts to early childhood education tomorrow. (1st July)

A number of centres are planning major events and the focus for the day will be the collection of thousands of handprints bearing messages about the impact of the cuts, which will then be presented to local MPs.

Many centres have lost almost 13 percent of their budgets as a result of the government funding cuts, which target those services which have more than 80% qualified staff. As a result fees to parents have gone up by 12% nationwide.

More than 56,000 New Zealanders have signed an NZEI petition which has been circulating over the past four months, calling on the government to reverse the funding cuts and invest more in early childhood education.

July 1 also marks a new round of cuts to early childhood education with funding being cut for the training and mentoring of hundreds of beginning teachers.

The Ministry of Education is withdrawing the Provisionally Registered Teacher Grants to any new teacher going into an early childhood centre which has more than 80% qualified staff. The grants, worth $4000 a year, have been available to all newly qualified early childhood teachers and help fund professional advice and guidance during their first two years on the job.

NZEI National Executive member Hayley Whitaker says the grants are important in building and retaining a strong teacher workforce.

“It’s time that the government started listening to its own research and advice which says that investing in early childhood education brings huge long term benefits and must be considered a priority even in times of fiscal constraint,” she says.

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