Child Care News
Understanding the importance of literacy skills in early learning – a crucial role of educators
The Sector - Freya Lucas - March 5, 2021New Zealand early childhood lecturers Chelsea Bracefield and Fiona Woodgate have recently published an article investigating a range of strategies to support educators to foster oral, written and visual literacies, encouraging them to make meaning from contexts and communicate ...
Gastro bug reported at 11 Wellington early childhood centres
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 4, 2021A gastro bug is doing the rounds in early childhood centres across Wellington, health authorities have confirmed. Regional Public Health medical officer Jill McKenzie said they had received reports of gastro illnesses at 11 different early childhood centres in the area...
Nurturing literacy development in early childhood
New Zealand Tertiary College - Fiona Woodgate - March 4, 2021Understanding the importance of literacy skills in early learning is a crucial role of the teacher. It is this belief that inspired early childhood lecturers Chelsea Bracefield and Fiona Woodgate to explore how kaiako can create opportunities to promote engagement in a literacy rich...
Early Learning Wage Subsidy Applications Fall Off A Cliff
Scoop NZ - Press Release: Early Childhood Council - March 3, 2021The number of Wage Subsidy applications by early learning providers has dramatically declined since the first lockdown according to an Early Childhood Council survey. While 90% of providers surveyed applied for the subsidy in June 2020, that falls to just 20% on average for August 2020...
We need to have hope,': Early Childhood teachers renew calls for pay parity
Stuff NZ - Laura Wiltshire - March 2, 2021Early childhood teachers are renewing calls for pay parity, after new data reveals they are paid $16,000 less on average than their counterparts in kindergarten. A report from the Ministry of Education surveyed 9500 staff members across 774 centres between August...
Covid 19 coronavirus: 'Level 3 lite' claim as Ministry of Education says parents can judge if their kids need to go to school or childcare in level 3 lockdown
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 2, 2021A veteran early childhood education leader has slammed the Government for adopting a "level 3 lite" in new instructions saying parents can judge whether they need to send their children to school or childcare. Ministry of Education bulletins sent to schools and early childhood ...
Early Learning Fairness Call Must Extend To Centres
Scoop - Press Release: Early Childhood Council - March 2, 2021The Early Childhood Council welcomes the early learning sector speaking with a united voice on teacher pay parity – but warns that community and privately-owned centres can’t keep missing out. “Resources are tight and must be used strategically. Unless funding for centres ...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Auckland parents 'gutted' about another week of home learning
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - February 28, 2021"Gutted," "stressed," "frustrated" and "concerned about the long-term effects" - those are the words that some Auckland parents are choosing now that the city's schools have been closed for another week due to Covid-19. Parents expressed to the Herald a variety of views...
Child's name shortened by teachers for being 'too hard' to pronounce
NZ Herald - Te Rina Triponel - February 28, 2021Five-year-old Mahinarangi Tautu just wants people to try to say her full name. When Mahinarangi started daycare, her mother Paris was told her name had been shortened to "Rangi" because it was too hard to pronounce. The Palmerston North and Ngāti Raukawa mum was determined...
Teachers Still Paid 30% More In Kindergartens Than Centres
Scoop - Press Release: Early Childhood Council - February 26, 2021The Ministry of Education’s own data shows the pay gap between teachers in kindergartens and early learning centres hasn’t gone anywhere. The Ministry’s Early Childhood Education Remuneration Report Summary 2020 shows the average hourly wage for a qualified ...
Tough times for ECE services revealed in new Education Ministry figures
RNZ - February 23, 2021Only 109 new services were set up in the 12 months to the end of June last year, one of the lowest figures in the past 20 years and a big drop from recent annual totals of about 140 to 160. On the other side of the ledger, 88 services shut down, continuing a spike in service closures ...
Christchurch preschool embraces post-quake life in the red zone
TVNZ - 1 News - February 19, 2021Ten years on from the Christchurch earthquake, a small preschool there is enjoying an enviable existence. The school is in the city's red zone. It used to have neighbours, and traffic, but now it's surrounded by green space and tranquility. Casa dei Bambini, house for children ...
Education Ministry finds 33 breaches at Pitter Patter childcare centre in Feilding
RNZ - Charlotte Cook - February 18, 2021Dirty bedding and rooms, bad food, a lack of fresh air and piping hot taps within reach of toddlers. These are just some of the official findings of a Feilding childcare centre which is being investigated and its owner banned from the premises. The Ministry of Education has now...
BestStart to test games to improve self-control with 1600 Kiwi children
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - February 15, 2021About 1600 Kiwi preschoolers are about to take part in the world's biggest trial aimed at improving their oral language and self-control - by playing games. The children, at 140 BestStart childcare centres throughout the country, will play common games and activities such as snap...
Covid lockdown puts parents back in the hot seat after long school holidays
Stuff - Serena Solomon - February 15, 2021Like most working mums who care full-time for their kids, Courtney Pomare’s life can be a delicate tapestry. If one thread is pulled – no playgroup, no childcare, a sickness in the household, etc – a whole day can quickly unravel. Auckland’s latest level 3 lockdown has pulled a thread for Pomare...
