Education Gimmick Always Going To Fail

02 February 2007

Early Childhood Education Gimmick Always Going To Fail – Donnelly

New Zealand First Education spokesperson, Brian Donnelly, says the rejection of the Government’s 20 free hours subsidy rate by large numbers of for-profit centres has been inevitable since the policy was first announced.

"The Government’s pre-election announcement of an extension of the 20 free hour policy to for-profit centres was ill conceived, not thought through, and must be seen for what it was – an election gimmick,” said Mr Donnelly.

"Put simply, it was a hospital pass from the former Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard, to the current Minister, Steve Maharey.

"The reality is that by their very nature many for-profit centres have higher cost structures. The fact that they are for profit means that there is a margin to be added, and they often have better staff to pupil ratios than the minimum required.

"Moreover, a disproportional number are in cities and often CBDs where costs are inevitably greater. It is obvious that a rate aimed at minimum costs was going to be rejected.

“The Government needs to face up to the fact that this policy is a shambles. They must go back to the drawing board and ask itself how it can best use the resources allocated for this dismal policy to improve our early childhood services," said Mr Donnelly.

ENDS