More Cost-Cutting to Early Childhood Education

More Cost-Cutting to Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education continues to be the target of government cost-cutting with cuts to support grants for beginning teachers.

The Ministry of Education is withdrawing the Provisionally Registered Teacher Grants from July next year 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.

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says it’s another blow for those services already reeling from big government funding cuts.

“Again the government is targeting those services which are providing quality early childhood education. For many it will represent another funding cut because they will want to provide that additional professional advice and support to their beginning teachers but will have to fund it themselves out of reduced budgets,” says NZEI Vice President Judith Nowotarski.

The grants are also important in building and retaining a strong teacher workforce.

Judith Nowotarski says “research in New Zealand and overseas shows that when teachers are well supported professionally in their first years of teaching, their teaching practice is stronger and they are more likely to stay in the job.”

“It is disheartening to see the government continuing to treat childhood education as a cost rather than an investment and show that it places no value on qualified teachers or quality education for our youngest children.”

ENDS

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