Lowering Teacher Qualifications Is A Cheap Fix With A Lifelong Cost

Te Rito Maioha supported the need for a review of Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulations because the process of overseeing both the regulations and the wellbeing of our tamariki in ECE had become cumbersome, complicated in design, with some regulations no longer fit for purpose.

“While there was a pressing need for a review,” says Kathy Wolfe, CE Te Rito Maioha, “the review needs to ensure that quality education, best practice, and the wellbeing and education of our tamariki are kept at the centre of any decision making.”

“Quality early childhood education must remain the top priority as the Government considers how to implement changes to regulatory settings. These changes must be guided by the fundamental goal of investing, supporting and enhancing educational and wellbeing outcomes for our youngest learners.”

“Today’s announcement, however, does not provide sufficient detail to reassure parents or educators. It leaves open the concerning possibility that quality ECE may be sacrificed in favour of a cheaper option, much like the school lunch fiasco.”

“We must not sacrifice quality for a teacher shortage crisis, as that will undermine quality ECE, the education and safety of children.”

“The most harmful recommendation focuses on teacher qualifications, which has been proposed as a way to manage the teaching shortage and potentially reduce the costs of ECE. The qualification requirement for teachers exists to meet quality goals associated with the ECE curriculum!”

Recommendation 10: Allow greater flexibility in workforce qualifications to support access and quality across all areas and service types.

• Develop options to make qualification requirements more flexible, particularly for services in rural and lower socio-economic areas, Māori and Pasifika services, and home-based services, and
• Amend regulations to provide for new flexibility in the qualification requirements.

“To remove the need for qualified teachers or “dumb down” qualifications does not solve the teaching shortage! The appropriate response is to put in place an effective ‘teacher education workforce strategy’. That means investing and supporting the teaching profession by ensuring initial teacher education is robust, committing to attraction and retention of qualified teachers, and focusing on conditions such as pay parity.”

“Any moves to reduce the quality and training of the people that are looking after our tamariki is a massive backwards step in the education of our children. The sector has fought long and hard to grow a qualified workforce, working towards the goal of 100% qualified teachers for over 30 years. When did politics replace pedagogy? The regulations don’t need to be changed - 50% aiming for 100% by 2030. We need a strategy and commitment to get there.

“Qualified professionals are an absolute must-have if you want your children to receive the best care and education at the most formative time of their lives.”

“If we look to the Australian experience, it is proven that lower qualifications have caused significant issues of quality and safety, and to rectify that, Australia are now moving towards New Zealand’s model of fully qualified teachers with state and federal funding to support this strategy.”

“Quality ECE is underpinned by qualified teachers, the time and quality of their interactions with the children, and a safe and supportive structure around those interactions.”

“You certainly won’t encourage people to become teachers by telling them that the profession of teaching doesn’t require teachers! This has the potential to become a short-term fix that undermines the profession of teaching while shifting the quality New Zealand ECE experience, towards a lower cost, but ultimately lower quality model.”

“The Minister needs to urgently discuss with the sector the implications of the proposed changes, and ensure there are practical solutions that do not put the safety, education and wellbeing of our tamariki at risk. The Minister also needs to commit to quality ECE, not a version of the school lunch programme that sacrifices quality for cost.”

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