Report highlights the importance of ECE in battling poverty

Report highlights the importance of ECE in battling child poverty

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says a report into child poverty confirms that proper investment in quality early childhood education is essential in opening up opportunities for the growing number of disadvantaged children.

The latest report from the Child Poverty Action Group “Left Further Behind” identifies investment in affordable, high quality early childhood education as a key to offsetting the effects of child poverty.

It recommends a more universal, equitable and community approach to early childhood policy. Importantly it also says there must be adequate funding so that all centres are staffed by fully qualified teachers with ratios which promote quality learning environments.

“We know that the benefits for children who get high quality early childhood education are measurable, not just for them but for their families as well. When children are able to attend local centres with fully qualified teachers, low ratios and the ECE is affordable, the chances of success further down the track are undeniable,” says NZEI spokesperson Hayley Whitaker.

“Unfortunately this government is heading in completely the opposite direction and continues to treat early childhood education as an unmanageable cost, claiming it is not getting enough value for money”.

In the past year funding has been cut to more than 2,000 services, the target for having 100% qualified teachers has been abandoned, and group sizes have been radically increased. The result has been fee rises to parents of up to an average of 12% nationwide.

“Those sort of fee increases are unaffordable in the context of poverty. Struggling families are being left with no choice but to pull their children out of services or reduce their hours,” she says.

The report says that while there might be financial constraints on the government ensuring equitable access to quality early childhood provision is too important to be side-lined.

Ms Whitaker says “if we want to get serious about tackling the issue of child poverty the government needs to change tack and start valuing early childhood education as a key to delivering the type of society we as New Zealanders want.”

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