Budget good news for Kindergartens

Budget good news for Kindergartens

Attn -Education reporters

The increased funding for early childhood education announced in the Budget is good news according to Jeremy Neild, president of NZ Kindergartens.

"Investing in early childhood education is an investment in the future and I commend the government for that," Mr Neild said. "The government policy of 20 hours free for three and four year olds ensures more children have access to teacher-led services and Kindergartens are moving to extend the times they are open in order to better meet families' needs. The boost in funding rates makes sure they can do so without compromising on quality."

Mr Neild says research shows the benefits of quality early childhood education extend beyond the early years, meaning that supporting families and whanau to participate is a good investment.

"The kindergarten service stands on its commitment to quality early childhood education," Mr Neild said. "We have traditionally been the only service to have 100% qualified teachers. The budget increases in funding ensure we can continue to attract and retain teachers, and meet rising operational costs."

The Budget increased rates to sessional and all-day services, equity funding to services including those in isolated areas, where there are children with special needs, and in low-socio economic communities, and support for provisionally registered teachers.

ENDS

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