Full-day care helps slow declining roll

Head teachers (from left) Vicki Wright, Lisa Frank, Shelley Unger, Christine Harris and Gillian Maifea. Photo / Christine Cornege

Kindergartens across Auckland were behind the eight-ball when it came to switching to a full-day model of care, but since 2005 more than 200 centres have moved to a longer day with more expected to change in the coming year.

Gillian Maifea, project manager for the Auckland Kindergarten Association, said the switch was a case of sustainability and the movement away from sessional kindergartens reflects changes in society and the Government's push to get parents back into the workforce.

The Auckland Kindergarten Association, a charitable trust, is New Zealand's largest with 107 centres.

Mrs Maifea said the introduction of the Government's 20 hours scheme has resulted in more parents taking up all-day education options and increased funding to centres providing the service.

Vicki Wright and Shelley Unger, head teachers of Anchorage Park and Highland Park kindergartens, made the switch to the school-day model in term two last year. Both agreed the change was necessary to combat declining rolls and changing needs.

Mrs Wright said the new hours had done a lot to offset a falling roll - within a week of announcing the longer hours, nine new children were added to the waiting list and former pupils were enrolling at the centre.

Feedback has been largely positive - student-to-teacher ratios have improved and hours have become more flexible.

"Parents like having choice and they want the 20 hours," she said.

The first Auckland kindergarten to move to the school-day model was Laingholm in 2006, but the majority changed last year. So far, 27 of the region's kindergartens have taken up the model, with another seven set to change this year.

Since the introduction of longer hours at Anchorage Park, Mrs Wright found the relationship between students, teachers and parents had improved because of an extra teacher, more time, a less rushed environment and more community engagement.

Mrs Unger agreed the move has been positive.

"A lot of families work in with school hours - we knew it was the right thing to do," she said.

Word of the new hours spread quickly and Highland Park's waiting list had more than doubled, and families who were put off by the sessional hours were coming back.

The mix of 3- and 4-year-olds has seen many siblings and cousins able to attend the centres together, adding to a greater sense of community.

With the extra Government funding available to school-day centres, Mrs Maifea said there was less fundraising pressure on the community and more time for fun activities.

"Teachers tell us once you've worked in the day model, you wouldn't go back."