Early childhood funding cuts untenable

Early childhood funding cuts untenable

Bill English’s recent statement claiming an over-investment in early childhood education should be a major concern for all parents who want the best possible start to their children’s education, says NZCA Chief Executive Nancy Bell.

A raft of studies including Early childhood education for all: a wise investment from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology show the early years to be the best investment in a child’s education. “Children who receive a quality early childhood education are better prepared for school and more likely to succeed later in life. The return on investment in quality early childhood education is high as thirteen dollars to every dollar invested. However, this means we must fund centres to deliver quality, particularly favourable teacher:child ratios and well qualified teachers.”

The National government promised high quality early childhood education but funding cuts are likely to reduce the quality of services across the country. “The recent investment in ECE has mostly been related to the increasing costs of 20 hours ECE for parents and a professionalised workforce. Funding cuts will increase the fees charged to parents, force centres to cut costs and pose a barrier to the families that would benefit most from high quality ECE. It’s critical that this government doesn’t take its foot off the pedal for quality.”

“The government spending on early childhood may have trebled, but New Zealand still lags behind the OECD average per capita expenditure. If it is reduced further, then quality will suffer. We know that if early childhood is to make a difference it must be of a high quality.”

“The sector is deeply concerned about possible cuts. It will increase the financial pressure on centres and decrease their ability to deliver the high quality care and education for our children. If funding is cut, then it is our children and their futures that will be the losers.”

ENDS

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