Children will undergo health checks before they start school, to determine whether they are showing any behavioural concerns.
The Government has announced the B4 School programme will be piloted in Wanganui and South Auckland before being rolled out nationwide next year.
The scheme will allow parents to provide
consent for their four-year-olds to undergo a test, in an effort to show any health or social issues which could hamper their child's ability to learn.
Health Minister Pete Hodgson said the pilot involving Counties Manukau and Whanganui District Health Boards would see up to 1000 four-year-olds checked out under the B4 School programme.
The Government - which promised the programme during the election campaign - aims to roll it out nationwide from February next year.
Checks would aim to identify health, behavioural, social, or developmental concerns which could affect a child's ability to learn, such as hearing problems.
"Finding problems early will help a whole new generation of learners, and better support them as they adjust to their new life as school pupils," Mr Hodgson said.
"If any concerns are identified action can be taken early - for example, it might mean referring the child to an appropriate service such as a family doctor, hearing specialist, child development service or specialist education service."
The B4 school checks will be funded with $23.6 million over four years.
NZEI national president Irene Cooper said identifying problems early was good but the move needed to be backed up with support for children with problems.
"The problem is not necessarily in diagnosing and recording problems - such as respiratory conditions, or speech language delay - but in accessing services or solutions," she said.
"Early childhood teachers report long delays for referral for early intervention services."
She said early childhood teachers also see the problems associated with poverty, such as cold, damp and overcrowded housing and their effects on health and well-being.
- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB
