Drawing hand prints as a message of support for the Ako
Early Learning Centre are (from left) Nav Boys (4), Hannah
Mather (4), Josh Knight (4), teacher Sue Morey, Archie
Colquhoun (4), Liam Hicks (2) and Nadia Koni (3). Photo by
Stephen Jaquiery.
Ako Early Learning Centre, in Dunedin, is putting its
weight behind a New Zealand Educational Institute initiative to
oppose cuts to early childhood education (ECE) funding.
Cuts to most ECE services will be introduced on Friday, but
it will be marked by a nationwide day of protest.
From Friday, the Government will no longer offer a support
grant to fund advice and guidance programmes for newly
qualified teachers - a cut of about $4000 a teacher.
New Zealand Kindergartens chief executive Clare Wells said
"the Government is not only reducing funding but also saying
that 100% qualified teachers do not matter if the child is
under 5 years old".
Corstorphine's Ako Early Learning Centre teacher Sue Morey
said all its staff were fully qualified.
"Qualified staff absolutely make a difference to children's
learning," she said.
Dunedin Community Childcare Association director Jo Ellis
said qualified staff were able to deliver the ECE curriculum,
extend children's learning and development and encourage
children and family learning in a way no unqualified teacher
could.
The Dunedin Community Childcare Association would now focus
on ways to keep offering a quality education to children
despite cuts.
"Our ability to deliver quality has definitely been
compromised."
The Dunedin community had been hit particularly hard by cuts
to qualified teacher support, she said.
"Dunedin is a highly qualified community because of the
access we have to tertiary providers."
The nationwide NZEI initiative had been well supported.
Centres nationwide would hold a "day of action" on Friday, to
show they were "not OK with the cuts", Ms Morey said.
A poster with children's handprints and comments on what they
like about the centre would be the centrepiece on the action
day in Dunedin.
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