Photo by NZPA
The early childhood teachers union is calling on the
Government to reverse the cuts to early childhood funding in a
nationwide petition launched today.
Parents of pre-schoolers find out today whether their early
childhood education centre (ECE) has raised its fees in the
wake of a Government funding cut.
Many are going to face increases of between $20 and $45 a
week after the Government cut $400 million from the sector,
funding up to 80% of qualified staff, instead of 100%.
Teachers' union NZEI Te Riu Roa said its petition called for
the funding cuts to be reversed and for the Government to
commit to a plan to invest one percent of GDP on early
childhood education.
"The Government claims that early childhood funding has
increased significantly in the past four years," NZEI
national executive member Hayley Whitaker said today.
"But what it fails to acknowledge is that New Zealand is
coming from a very low spending base. It is abhorrent that it
continues to view investing in early childhood education as a
cost, rather than an investment."
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