Delaying early childhood teacher registration

29 October 2009
4.30pm
Press Release

Delaying the early childhood teacher registration scheme will not solve teacher shortages

Moving the 80 per cent target for early childhood teacher registration out two years to 2012 is welcomed but will not solve the sector's current and damaging staff shortages, says the Early Childhood Council.

Chief executive Sarah Farquhar says the number of families seeking childcare places for their children is constantly increasing but the government has capped the number of teacher trainees in the sector.

“We do not have the numbers coming through the training institutions to meet families' demands for childcare places. The position is further complicated because one part of the Government says staff must have a certain type of teaching qualification (a Dip Tchg ECE or degree in ECE) and not any other early childhood or primary teaching qualification while another part of the Government says that training numbers for the recognised teaching qualification need to be capped."

“ While the two-year respite for the 80 per cent target may temporarily stave off closure for a number of centres, it will do nothing to help the many families struggling to find places for their children. Nor will it enable job vacancies to be filled without long delays and unnecessary costs to centres."

To meet demand, many employers have to employ staff purely on the basis of what qualification they hold and not on their competencies or ability to care well for young children, Dr Farquhar says.

"The Government needs to remove the training cap and allow for more, not fewer, graduates to come through. The implications of the Tertiary Education Commission’s current policy is that at least one major high-quality private training provider is required to cease enrolling students and to off-load more than 200 students currently in training.
“The Department of Labour has identified both genuine skill shortages and recruitment and retention difficulties for early childhood teachers. The shortage arises from demand outstripping supply. The data indicate that the only way a government target of 80% can be met is for more teachers to be trained.

"We estimate that unless the Minister has the courage to address the staffing crisis comprehensively and properly for children, many more centres than the Ministry of Education’s current assessment of 1,000 will be at risk come 2012. .

The Early Childhood Council is the largest representative body of licensed early child care and education centres in NZ. It is a not-for-profit organisation.

ENDS

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