Hon David Seymour
Minister for Regulation

After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.

“The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been having, I know people are keen to have a bit more time to have their say,” says Mr Seymour.

“Parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research bodies, and others connected to the sector have all contributed.

"Parents are saying they want more types of early childhood education, easier access, and more affordable options. Some parents also want fewer children per teacher.

“Teachers have said they would like to spend less time on compliance-based paperwork that does not benefit the children’s learning or care. They have also said they want a limit on group sizes, and fewer children per adult.

“Providers are saying they are experiencing regulatory requirements being inconsistently applied, and there seems to be lack of clarity between what is a regulatory requirement and what is guidance. This creates obstacles and an unnecessary burden for people.

“What’s telling is that no stakeholders think the current regulatory system is working, which is why this review is so important. I encourage everyone who is interested in this work to have their say before the end of August.

“Through these regulatory reviews we can get back to enabling the impressive Kiwi ingenuity that we should be proud of. By removing unnecessary, costly, and limiting regulations that are obstacles to success.”

Notes: 

Submissions can be made through the engagement hub on the Ministry for Regulation website: https://consultation.regulation.govt.nz/ece-review/

The information gathered from the Ministry’s face to face engagement, and information from the engagement hub will inform a Cabinet paper, produced at the review’s conclusion.

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