Child Care News
Education system at 'crisis point', Bay of Plenty teacher says
NZ Herald - Amy Diamond - April 6, 2018The education system is at "crisis point" as teachers are forced to take on social worker duties on top of their regular workload, a Bay of Plenty teacher says. More than 650 Bay teachers met at a New Zealand Education Institute paid union meeting last month to examine issues...
National targets 'arrogant and reckless' early childhood plans
Radio NZ - April 6, 2018However, Ms Willis said parents valued the choice provided by the private sector. "The reason these centres have grown is because parents have chosen them. "The sector hasn't grown from 28 to 46 percent because parents don't like the quality of care provided...
Early childhood sector: Govt looks to turn tide away from privatised education
Radio NZ - John Gerritsen - April 6, 2018The government has warned the early childhood sector it could step in to limit the detrimental effects of competition and it wants to turn the tide away from privatised education. The comments were made in documents related to development of an Early Learning Strategic Plan...
Early Learning Strategic Plan terms of reference announced
Scoop NZ - April 5, 2018Education Minister Chris Hipkins today released the terms of reference for the Early Learning Strategic Plan, which aims to give all children genuine opportunities for high quality early learning. "Quality early learning provides children with a strong foundation for their future learning that...
Marek Tesar: Early education on guns needs to hear children's voice
NZ Herald - Dr Marek Tesar - April 4, 2018This controversy found its way to New Zealand last week with the Herald story about 40 rural childcare centres in New Zealand, part of a larger for-profit network, developing gun safety kits and rules for our children under 5. This decision raises a number of issues and...
Could toting a toy gun be more dangerous than we think?
Stuff NZ - Michelle Duff - April 3, 2018But proactively teaching kids about gun safety at daycare marks a cultural shift. Early childhood educators and this programme's supporters are kidding themselves if they think, as relayed to the NZ Herald, that it does not promote gun use. Actively discussing guns and their...
Preschool amongst businesses thriving in Christchurch's residential red zone
Stuff NZ - Julian Lee - April 2, 2018Inside Christchurch's abandoned red zone, a tiny business community continues to operate despite almost no one living there. Four businesses are still open seven years on from the 2011 earthquake. Times are tougher now, but these businesses insist it's still better than the government...
Leicester Gouwland: Should childcare costs be tax deductible for parents?
NZ Herald - Leicester Gouwland - April 3, 2018With the news that fewer women are having babies in New Zealand than ever before, it might be time to review our policy on providing tax cuts for childcare costs. More and more parents of young children are in paid employment. In many cases, this is a necessity to provide...
Childcare chain launches cut-out guns for kids
NZ Herald - Simon Collins - March 27, 2018One of New Zealand's biggest childcare chains is launching cardboard-cutout guns and targets to teach gun safety rules to preschoolers. Evolve Education, which runs 130 childcare centres plus the Porse and Au Pair Link home-based companies, says the gun safety kit has been developed...
Troubled kids 'likely to end up in jail ... unless they get help'
Radio NZ - Lois Williams - March 26, 2018Hora Hora primary is opening a pre-school today with government funding for children who missed out on early learning and social skills. Its principal Pat Newman said some children needed the sort of intensive help that was not funded, and the trust, Te Mana Aute hopes to raise...
Child care operator to open third centre within a kilometre
Stuff NZ - Imogen Neale - March 23, 2018A child care operator will open its third centre in a small East Auckland neighbourhood following a resource consent hearing. Last year, Aspin Ridge Ltd lodged an application to build an 84-child centre at 27 Shelly Bay Road, Beachlands. The limited notification application outlined a plan...
TV Host's Comment Undermines Value Of Mothers
Scoop NZ - March 19, 2018Family First NZ is rubbishing TV3 AM Show host Mark Richardson's comments that motherhood should not be considered a job, labelling the comments as disrespectful and potentially harmful, and ignoring the research. "Mothers have been undervalued. Yet there is growing evidence of...
Ways in which motherhood is exactly like work
Stuff NZ - Rose Hoare - March 19, 2018By 2020, paid parental leave will be extended to 26 weeks. And as more young men show an interest in being more active participants in their child's life, who knows, maybe some enlightened employers will start offering gender-blind parental leave like Etsy does, and there will...
How monkey bars help your child's brain
Stuff NZ - Kerry Pratchett - March 19, 2018I have recently read three media articles discussing how children are losing the skill to hold a pencil correctly. It is great this is finally being discussed outside the staffroom and that parents are being made aware of this. The articles all discuss the importance of fine motor skills...
Early childhood teacher shortages 'reaching crisis point'
Radio New Zealand - John Gerritsen - March 19, 2018Early childhood centres are struggling to hire qualified teachers and say a massive teacher shortage is to blame. Sector leaders said the government would have trouble meeting its goals for increasing the number of qualified early childhood teachers unless more people trained...
