Loss of town’s preschool further blow

Some of the Riverstones Early Learning Centre parents and children who will be affected when it...
Some of the Riverstones Early Learning Centre parents and children who will be affected when it closes next Friday. PHOTO: SANDY EGGLESTON
Next Friday will be a black day in Lumsden as its preschool closes because of a lack of qualified staff.

The purpose-built Riverstones Early Learning Centre opened in the town in 2013.

Manager Philippa Stansfield said staff members were ‘‘devastated’’ the centre needed to close because a teacher could not be found.

‘‘We’ve tried our hardest to find a qualified early childhood teacher to stay open and there’s just no-one around,’’ Miss Stansfield said.

‘‘We’ve exhausted all options.’’

She travelled from Gore each day and had been working at the preschool since 2015, two of those years as manager.

The centre was licensed for 33 children but there were 50 on the roll and another 20 on the waiting list.

The centre received positive feedback from parents and teachers about how well prepared preschoolers were for school and now, apart from the playcentre, ‘‘there’s going to be nothing’’.

She knew of a primary-trained teacher who would like to work at the centre but ministry requirements were the three teachers needed early childhood teaching qualifications.

The plan was to close until February while renovations were completed which would make the facility bigger and able to take more children.

This would help reduce the number of children on the waiting list, if staff could be found, she said.

Parent Ashleigh Brewer said parents had been ‘‘blindsided’’ by the news on Monday.

‘‘It’s the only child-care facility ... they gave us 11 days notice,’’ Miss Brewer said.

‘‘Lumsden [is] losing a vital part of the community that a lot of parents depend on because they are working.’’

It was bad timing, as lambing and calving were about to start, she said.

The owner, based in Auckland, who declined to be named, said the centre had to close when one of her teachers resigned last month, leaving her with only two qualified teachers.

This followed a long struggle to find a stand-in for her manager, who has just returned from maternity leave.

New Zealand's teacher shortage, the lack of accommodation in the town and the ongoing struggle to attract people to Lumsden had compounded, the owner said.

‘‘I tried until the last minute ... I am still trying to get people to come down and work for me.

‘‘I am happy to pay their rent. I am happy to pay for their travel.’’

Even offering to cover accommodation and travel costs was not enough.

‘‘The closest [accommodation] I can find for them is Winton and Gore and they don't want to drive — it becomes even harder. ’’

Families have already been hit hard in the past with the closure of the Lumsden Birthing Centre in 2018.

sandy.eggleston@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement