Cuts to early childhood education revealed

Cuts to early childhood education revealed in ministry figures

2 December 2016

Cuts to early childhood education funding have been confirmed by the latestMinistry of Education figures, which show annual per-child funding has dropped by more than $500 since 2009/10.

NZEI Te Riu Roa ECE spokesperson Virginia Oakly said the slow erosion of funding for quality ECE was having a detrimental impact on the quality of education that services could provide.

“The figures show that the government’s claim of greater spending in ECE is an empty boast, because the increases are not keeping up with the number of children participating,” she said.

“Over the past few years, the squeeze on centres has become apparent, with fewer qualified teachers being employed, worsening child-to-teacher ratios, and delays in maintenance and updating of resources,” she said.

“Every child is worth a quality early childhood education, but the government’s fixation with participation at the expense of quality does a terrible disservice to our tamariki.”

Check out our new website for more information about NZEI’s campaign for quality ECE.

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