MOE Must Learn The Lessons Of Country Kindy Case

Manawatu’s Country Kindy has regained its full operating licence and is taking enrolments, bringing a two year saga to an end and giving a rural community its childcare centre back.

Everyone involved with Country Kindy are grateful this process has come to an end, and that focus can at last return to caring for the children enrolled and growing the roll, while decisions are made about whether and how to continue with the Court process.

“It’s disappointing the Country Kindy case reached this point, and we sincerely hope this leads to a fairer and more measured approach from the Ministry of Education from now on,” said Early Childhood Council CEO Simon Laube.

“I’m proud to have helped an ECC member when they needed us – a centre where children are well cared for in a unique rural environment, supported by a wonderful community, which should never have been dragged through this.”

Country Kindy had faced a challenging two years after a positive Education Review Office review surprisingly led to Ministry of Education investigations, with wide-ranging, largely non-specific compliance failures being identified each time. Clear issues included the Ministry taking exception to staff using walkie talkies to communicate, which is allowed under the regulations, and finding that its philosophy statement was non-compliant as they didn’t know which version they had was the correct one. Country Kindy almost lost its licence in June 2024 before a last minute stay of execution after urgent legal action and Ministerial intervention.

A subsequent MOE assessment found Country Kindy complied with all the conditions - Country Kindy was advised on 12 September.

“All credit must go to Fiona Zwart and her team for persevering when so many would have given up. Thanks to their courage in standing up for their centre, this community can once again send their children to Country Kindy without the fear of it being closed down,” said Simon Laube.

“It will take some time for the MOE to regain the trust of centres everywhere, especially small centres like Country Kindy that can’t really stand up to powerful regulators. Our members nationwide looked at the Country Kindy case and wondered if it could happen to them – it’s still a risk with the current regulatory approach, and must surely be addressed in the ECE Sector Regulatory Review led by the Ministry for Regulation.”

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