Johnsonville And Northern Suburbs Kindergarten Teachers Speak Up

Families and teachers from kindergarten communities and other early childhood services in the wider Johnsonville region have registered their concern about the future of early childhood education locally and nationally.

Teachers from several kindergartens are heading to Nicola Willis’s office on Thursday March 27 to present a petition calling on the government to ensure that children are at the heart of any decision made about early childhood regulations.

Annie Masterton, the head teacher at Waitohi Kindergarten in central Johnsonville says it’s important to retain strong regulations about qualifications, ratios, the curriculum and involving families in the programme.

Annie is also concerned about taking the Treaty of Waitangi out of early childhood education, which she says is a back door method of Associate Education Minister David Seymour getting his Treaty Principles ideology into effect.

She says qualified teachers are vital for our youngest children. “Our job is complex and we need to be highly skilled to support the needs of all children and their families.”

She says the government’s proposal to reduce regulation is about taking the sector backwards, to benefit profit-oriented businesses at the expense of children’s wellbeing.

Annie says Waitohi Kindergarten has a good relationship with Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who has visited Waihohi Kindergarten and listened to the concerns of teachers.

Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens operates 110 kindergartens in Aotearoa, from Waiouru to Balclutha, supporting the education of more than 5,500 children.

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