He Whānau Manaaki, one of the largest kindergarten associations in the country, fully supports the call for a “pay jolt” for qualified registered ECE teachers working in the wider ECE sector.

The newly launched “ECE Voice” campaign by NZEI is calling for increased pay for ECE teachers.

“Kindergarten teachers worked hard to achieve pay parity with their primary teacher colleagues, and as such, enjoy good terms and conditions. Such terms and conditions need to be extended to teachers across the ECE sector” says Chief Executive Amanda Coulston.

“But with only 57% of staff in ECE being qualified and registered teachers, having 100% qualified registered teachers in all regulated positions needs to remain a key focus of Government and the sector. A key indicator of quality is qualified registered teachers, and if we want to have a high quality, professionalised early learning system where teachers are recognised with pay like their school colleagues, 100% qualified teachers, and funding to provide that must remain a priority”.

Current regulations are woefully minimal in that only 50% of staff are required to be qualified, registered teachers. Qualified, registered teachers must abide by the Teaching Council standards and abide by a Code of Ethics, and so if all centres were required to have 100% qualified registered teachers, some of the huge variations in quality and safety would be significantly reduced.

“Research shows that qualified teachers have the knowledge and attitudes to see the world from children’s perspective and to provide the warm and stimulating environment they need to cater for their emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual welfare.”

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