Child Care News
New childhood centre in Seddon moves closer to construction start
Stuff - Rahul Bhattarai - August 16, 2020Work may start on a new early childhood hub in Seddon next year if the community can secure the rest of funding needed to build the much-needed centre. The Seddon community gathered last week to unveil a sign with a graph showing how fundraising is tracking...
Coronavirus cuts numbers of children at Evolve's childcare centres
Stuff - Melanie Carroll - August 14, 2020The owner of childcare centres including Lollipops, Active Explorers and Little Wonders says the numbers of children attending hasn’t recovered to pre-Covid levels. NZX-listed company Evolve Education, which owns 117 centres across New Zealand and 10 in Australia...
Coronavirus: Covid-19 cases at two Auckland schools, preschool, MIT
Stuff - George Block - August 13, 2020Two Auckland schools and a preschool have shut their doors due to confirmed coronavirus cases linked to the facilities. Taeaofou | Puaseisei Preschool is also shut due to a coronavirus case. The Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) said on Thursday evening ...
Covid 19 coronavirus new outbreak: Anxious Auckland parents keep kids at home
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - August 12, 2020Anxious Auckland parents have kept their children at home today as the city begins a new level 3 lockdown for the next three days. Schools across the city report that only a handful of students, or none, have turned up today even though all schools are open officially for...
New Zealand moves up alert levels: What you need to know
RNZ - August 11, 2020Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that Auckland will move to alert level 3 from midday Wednesday for three days. Alert level 3 restrictions for Auckland: Schools and childcare facilities will close from Wednesday, except for the children of essential service workers...
Five reasons why nationalisation isn’t the answer for early learning
Stuff - Peter Reynolds - August 8, 2020OPINION: Our early learning sector doesn't need fixing. It’s a good system that enables young children to grow, develop, and be prepared for school. Research and the Education Review Office’s findings show there’s no difference between the learning outcomes of preschool...
Toddler injured at childcare centre in Starship
Otago Daily Times - Matthew McKew - August 3, 2020A seriously injured toddler flown to Dunedin Hospital last week from a Queenstown childcare centre has been transferred to Auckland. Detective Sergeant Paul Slater said the 18-month-old had been flown to Starship Children's Hospital following an accident at Gems Educational...
Why there should be no place for profit in early childhood education
Stuff - Caitlin Neuwelt-Kearns and Jenny Ritchie - July 31, 2020OPINION: Many understand education to be a public good that promotes the wellbeing and prosperity of society. Yet, despite evidence affirming the importance of a child’s first few years for their long-term wellbeing and development, our early childhood sector is being left largely ...
Early childhood teachers take action
Otago Daily Times - John Lewis, The Star - July 30, 2020Early childhood teachers took historic action in Dunedin last week by holding paid union meetings during school hours for the first time. About 70 teachers from early childhood education (ECE) centres around Dunedin gathered at Age Concern Hall for an early morning meeting...
Toddler critically injured at Queenstown daycare
Stuff - Jo McKenzie-McLean - July 27, 2020A toddler has suffered critical injuries after an incident at a Queenstown daycare on Monday morning. Gems Educational Daycare general manager Gemma Smith said the centre was “deeply saddened” over the incident. “Our focus right now is supporting the child and their family...
QSO for former Whanganui woman Clare Wells
NZ Herald - Paul Brooks - July 27, 2020Clare Wells left Whanganui some years ago to forge a career in early childhood education. Now she is Clare Wells, QSO, having received the honour of Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to early childhood education. She was made QSO in this year's ...
Stars, weather align for Matariki festival
Otago Daily Times - July 27, 2020The stars came out to shine, in all senses of the word, at Matariki celebrations in Wanaka and Arrowtown at the weekend. Arrowtown Preschool’s annual Matariki Night got off to a special start with performances by its pupils and the Arrowtown Primary School kapa haka group ...
Early childhood teachers protest over pay inequities, plan next steps
Otago Daily Times - Hamish MacLean - July 25, 2020Teachers who have the same experience, and the same qualifications should get paid the same, New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) member and Dunedin early childhood teacher Simone Lehr says. She was out in the Octagon in Dunedin’s city centre yesterday morning...
Lack of pay parity with kindy teachers ‘really demoralising’ - early childhood education teacher
TVNZ 1news - July 24, 2020Melissa Burgess, a qualified ECE teacher at the Adelaide Early Childhood Centre in Wellington, told TVNZ1’s Breakfast this morning the lack of pay parity made it hard for the sector to retain talent. She said qualified ECE teachers could shift to doing similar work at a kindergarten...
Preschool teachers stop work to call for equal pay.
RNZ - July 24, 2020Educational Institute members from 130 centres across the country are stopping work this morning to meet to discuss their campaign for pay parity with other teachers. They currently earn an average of 24% less than teachers with the same qualifications working in kindergartens...
