Parents Expect Children To Have Fully Qualified Teachers But Are Often Short-Changed

The Early Childhood Education Parents’ Council wants early childhood centre regulations amended to guarantee that children, at all times of the day, have teachers who are trained and qualified in providing early education and care.

A spokesperson for the Council, Camille Furnandiz, said the wool is pulled over parents’ eyes when it comes to teacher qualifications.

In a recent survey to parents by the ECE Parents’ Council, 100 percent of respondents expect at least half of the teachers on site at any preschool, childcare centre or kindy with their children will be qualified in teaching and caring for under-fives. And, 80 percent were not aware that the Ministry of Education has no requirement whatsoever for the number of staff on site with children to be ECE teacher qualified.

Parents expressed shock and outrage when they learnt this. The importance of the first five years in children’s development and learning is paramount and parents expect their children are being cared for by ECE qualified teachers for the fees they are paying.

Some comments provided by parents were:

• I’m paying a premium for daycare. Therefore, I expect appropriately qualified teachers no matter the age of my daughter (currently one year)
• I am outraged that our standards in NZ are so low and that there is so little awareness around this.
• I don't think this acceptable. I had no idea that this was not already in place and I'm rather shocked. It suggests to me there is no transparency.
• No wonder children are lacking skills, knowledge, and experiences before starting school.
• I'm a qualified primary school teacher and this wouldn't be allowed in a primary school setting. ECE years are the most important of all education years.
• I feel that there MUST always be two ECE qualified teachers per group of children in the service. So there needs to be policy in place to ensure quality care, supervision, and learning.
• On days where there is no qualified teacher looking after my son's group in daycare, he is tired and unsettled when coming home. And the caregivers have difficulty reporting on his day, due to their lack of training. We are now changing his care arrangement for the very reason that lack of qualified early childhood teachers is having a negative impact on his wellbeing.

Additionally, parents thought that all the teachers in ratio with children should be ECE teacher qualified or at least half would be better than the current scenario. Parents think they should be advised when their child is cared for by teachers who are not qualified or in training.

Camille Furnandiz said: “We want the law changed so there is certainty that at any early education and care centre, at all times of the day, at least half the children’s teachers are fully qualified ECE teachers.

“Surely the Ministry of Education and the Government should be invested in giving children the best beginning in their educational journey - how is it acceptable for children to be left in the care of a centre, for any length of time, at which not a single member of staff with them is an ECE trained and fully qualified teacher?

“Parents need to feel confident that their children are well cared for and receiving appropriate education. With childcare being so expensive, parents expect at least half or more of the teaching staff who are with their children to be fully trained and qualified in providing early childhood education and care” said Camille Furnandiz.

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