Yet again the government has kicked the can of 80% early childhood education (ECE) teachers being qualified down the road.

In 2002 a 10-year government plan for ECE was released that included an intention to require 80 percent of teaching staff to be qualified by 2010, and 100 percent by 2012.

In 2017 Labour promised that should it win the election it would require at least 80 percent of teachers in ECE centres to be qualified teachers by the end of its first term in government.

In 2019 a new government plan for ECE included a commitment to require 80 percent qualified teachers in education and care centres. But work on regulating for 80% qualified teachers was recently halted by Jan Tinetti, Minister of Education.

Dr Sarah Alexander, Chief Advisor to the Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) said that kicking the can down the road again on this underlies why the sector is not flourishing even though NZ is spending more on ECE than ever before.

“Teacher training and qualification in early education and care is a key structural indicator of ECE service quality linked to better outcomes. The Ministry of Education and Government knows this and has acknowledged this but keeps failing to take action to ensure ECE qualified teachers are present with children at all times in centres. This is to the detriment of the quality of early learning environments in centres for children,” said Dr Alexander.

The OECE observed that the only safeguard ensuring at least one ECE qualified teacher was present in centres with children was the “person responsible” requirement. But in 2020 this safeguard was removed. Now a person who is qualified only to teach school-age children and work in a school setting can be the “person responsible” in an early childhood centre.

“The importance of an early childhood teaching qualification for staff in the teacher-to-child ratio in centres is not explicitly recognised but it needs to be,” said Dr Alexander.

“Action must be taken to guarantee that children always have teachers with them who have successfully completed specialist training in early childcare and education.

“This would provide assurance to parents and families that teaching staff will be ECE qualified teachers.”

“The pattern of behaviour from the government of repeatedly kicking the can down on the road on teacher qualification provides an incentive to centre owners not to boost hiring of early childhood education qualified teachers,” says Dr Alexander.

Further information

The OECE’s position is that it is essential for staff in the teacher-to-child ratio in education and care centres to be ECE trained and qualified teachers.

International research shows that staff training in early childhood education and care is a key indicator of quality in ECE settings linked to improved child outcomes. NZ research shows that early childhood qualified teachers “differ in their practice from untrained educators in their ability to relate theory to practice ... Their specialised pedagogical knowledge is also apparent. Interactions with children and the children’s family/whānau are more effective. Overall, the qualified teachers provide evidence of superior quality of practice.” (Meade et al., 2012)

Study for an ECE teaching qualification includes fieldwork placements in ECE settings and demonstration of knowledge and understanding on such things as infant and young children’s development; theories of early learning; ECE curriculum content, planning and delivery; fostering partnership with parents, family and whānau; language acquisition; encouraging development of positive pro-social behaviours; team-teaching; and ECE regulations and requirements.

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