8000 children miss out on their preferred preschoo

New Zealand Playcentre Federation

6 July 2007

8000 children miss out on their preferred preschool

The Government, in its 20 Free Hours scheme for early childhood education, is dictating the education that parents should choose for their children.

The Free ECE scheme is only available in childcare centres and kindergartens led by paid teachers. But thousands of parents value the high quality education that Playcentre provides in its 496 centres nationwide, which are voluntarily staffed by trained parent educators.

“Playcentre provides the framework for parents and children to learn together in a structured early childhood community” said Playcentre Federation President, Marion Pilkington.

“The Free ECE scheme is supposed to be about removing the barriers for children to participate in quality early education,” said Mrs Pilkington. “But the government refuses to include Playcentre in this scheme, and is instead dictating that parents can only access free ECE through teacher-led centres. This is failing parents who wish to be actively involved in the education of children in their communities. “We question why the Government is encouraging institutionalised early childhood education at the expense of parent involvement.”

“This approach goes against the findings of the Competent Children Study, which shows that Playcentre provides among the highest quality education for young children in New Zealand. By excluding Playcentre from this option, the Government is sending a message to parents that their children are better off being educated by strangers.”

“Playcentre appreciates the need for initiatives to make it easier for those parents who need to work to access childcare” said Mrs Pilkington. “What we are objecting to is the inequity of our hardworking Playcentre parents being ineligible to access Free ECE except from another education provider.

Playcentre parents carry out all the roles of teachers and administrators in other services. Playcentres must meet the same requirements for health and safety, education and administration that apply to other sessional early childhood education providers. “We ask that the government gives us the same opportunity that it is giving teacher led services to offer free ECE, and ensure that the diversity of the sector is maintained so it can continue to meet the education and care needs of all our children and families” said Mrs Pilkington.

For further information about Playcentre visit www.playcentre.org.nz/.

ENDS

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