Preschool parents demand qualified staff

Photo / The Aucklander

Nearly 99 per cent of parents want qualified early childhood teachers for their children and the majority do not think they should have to pay any more than they do now for the service.

Those are the findings of a survey released today by NZ Educational Institute (NZEI), the union for early childhood teachers around the country.

The survey of more than 1600 parents with children in early childhood care was carried out after the Government's Budget announcement that $400 million of funding was being cut to services which have more than 80 per cent of their staff fully qualified.

The move has angered centre owners, who say they will have to increase costs to families by up to $40 a week, lay off staff or decrease the services they provide.

Families have responded with concern and some say they will have to remove their children from care if costs increase.

The survey asked 1604 parents if they believed their child should have qualified early childhood education teachers - 1584 replied yes.

It also asked if parents should pay more for that service than they do at present - 93 per cent said no.

Asked if quality early childhood education was an investment in New Zealand's future, all but 10 said yes.

Judith Nowotarski, the NZEI's vice-president, said research showed that children involved in quality early childhood education have better educational outcomes later in life.

She said the survey was a clear signal that parents understood and valued the importance of having fully qualified teachers educating and caring for their children.

"It's a shame the Government doesn't share that view, and instead chooses to undermine quality early childhood education."

Ms Nowotarski said "parents were angry about the funding cuts and aware of the pressures being put on centres and services as a result".

"The Government needs to restore the funding, recommit to teacher qualification targets and back the right of all children to have the early childhood education they deserve."

As anger about the cuts continues to mount, some centres have turned to protest action.

In South Auckland, Finlayson Park Childcare Centre staff and children have created large canvas artworks which parents have written messages on and plan to send to representatives of the National, Labour and Maori parties.

The NZEI has also sent 50,000 postcards, objecting to the cuts, to centres around the country for parents to sign and send to the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Bay of Plenty educators are planning a march for Saturday, August 28, which they hope will attract hundreds of people who are unhappy about the funding cuts.