Education expert predicts kindergarten clashes

29 June 2007

Education expert predicts kindergarten clashes

Kindergartens and childcare centres are in danger of becoming battlegrounds as teachers have to explain to parents wanting “free” early childhood education that they have to pay extra charges, says early childhood expert Dr Sarah Farquhar.

Dr Sarah Farquhar, a Wellington based researcher into young children’s education says the interests of the child are being pushed to one side in an argument over money.

From Monday, the Government introduces up to 20 hours free early childhood education a week for three and four-year-old children in teacher-led services. But the early childhood sector is arguing that setting the funding rate to cover only the average cost of providing care and education will mean that standards in many centres will fall dangerously unless parents can be persuaded to pay top-up charges.

Dr Farquhar says relationships between parents and teachers are becoming tense. Teachers are in the difficult position of having to tell parents they must pay for something the government repeatedly tells them is free or their centre will have to withdraw from the scheme or lower standards.

“I can’t see any benefits of the policy the way it is for children” says Dr Farquhar, who has scrutinised the evidence on what works for improving children’s learning for the Ministry of Education.

“It’s reducing flexibility for parents to determine the hours they want to use. It’s going to result in the extension of kindergarten into full-day childcare services. We are going to see a very rapid decline in small community based part-day centres and playcentres,”she says.

Dr Farquhar says the debate about funding has covered up the Government’s intention to institutionalise children’s early education. “Education Minister Steve Maharey says this move is about making early childhood services more like the compulsory education sector.

I wonder if parents know the real reason - that the policy is being brought in to make early childhood services more homogenous in funding, operation and quality as a final step to making early childhood services part of the education system.”

I would hate to see early childhood services becoming like the school sector. We want our children to have a childhood – age five comes soon enough for starting school.”

Dr Farquhar, who runs the independent Childforum Research Network for researchers, says that the 20-hour policy won’t lead to higher quality services or better learning. And it won’t deliver more places in early childhood services.

ENDS

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