Early Childhood Council commentary on Brainwave Trust report

Early Childhood Council commentary on Brainwave Trust report

Recent news items suggest there is ‘increased risk of childhood respiratory illness, obesity, aggression and hyperactivity’ for children who attend childcare, with organisations like Family First implying it is well past time for working mothers to return to the home.

The items are reporting on a study by the Brainwave Trust. (http://www.brainwave.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Childcare-How-are-the-Children-Doing.pdf)

The study itself, however, is more measured. It summarises available research and concludes: ‘There may (underlining added) be risks involved with non-parental care “too early” and “for too long each day”. Unfortunately we cannot precisely define the impact of the types of care nor provide specific guidelines, as the research is not in.’

We welcome this work. It raises legitimate questions, and provides parents with information to which they have a right. The Early Childhood Council has, however, five concerns about the paper and the way it has been reported.

One. It is based mostly on dated, overseas research undertaken in early childhood systems unlike our own, but draws conclusions it applies to New Zealand circumstances.

Two. The report suggests that children might benefit from more time with parents currently working, but fails to consider the wider impacts were this to happen. How many families, for example, would no longer make mortgage payments or rental payments if one parent stopped working? How many would fall into poverty where the link to negative outcomes for children is much more firmly established than the supposed link between early childhood education and negative outcomes?

Three. The study ignores the wider economic importance of childcare and the fact that the New Zealand economy would contract suddenly and substantially if thousands of working mothers stayed home.

Four. The links between early childhood education and the negative outcomes upon which the report focuses are not well established. The report is constantly qualifying what it says with statements such as ‘more research is needed’. It uses words like ‘associated with’, which means that two things tend to occur together, but not that one has necessarily caused the other – a distinction not always made in news media.

Five. Some commentating publicly on the research refer to a ‘crisis in childcare’ that does not exist. New Zealand is recognised globally as offering one of the best early childhood education systems in the world. Our national curriculum is respected internationally and often copied. Our early childhood teachers are regarded highly in other countries.

The Brainwave Trust report suggests some possible negative outcomes from too much early childhood education too early. This conclusion, however, needs to be read in the context of the report’s limitations. As it says itself: ‘high quality childcare is better than poor-quality, but is very difficult to compare with parental care’.

The Early Childhood Council believes parents are best located to judge what is good for their children as individuals. And it is parents, we believe, who are best placed to balance the family’s need for work and income with the developmental needs of their own children.

The Early Childhood Council is the largest early childhood education membership body in New Zealand. It has more than 1100 member centres, about 30% of which are community run and about 70% of which are privately run. Its members employ more than 7000 staff, and care for tens of thousands of children.

For more information contact Early Childhood Council CEO Peter Reynolds on 028 258 22322

ENDS

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