4th June 2004
Rural Women concerned over growing gaps in early childhood education
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) is concerned that young children are missing out on education in rural areas due to
changes in Government policy.
Last week the Government announced 20 hours of free education for 3 and 4 year olds, but this does not relate to private
centres.
RWNZ education spokeswoman Jacky Stafford says that, once again, the Government is promoting urban drift, through making
it necessary for families to live near main centres to take advantage of any Government schemes.
Mrs Stafford says it is getting harder for rural suppliers and parents to provide early childhood education because of
increased travel distances to rural schools, and changes in the training requirements for supervisors.
“The qualification for early Childhood education used to involve an 18-month course. The training requirement is now a
three-year course, which excludes many potential candidates in rural areas,” says Mrs Stafford, who is chair of the
Rural Education Reference Group (RERG).
“For rural people, the travel required to attend a relevant institution, and the extra time involved deters many
interested takers. If the Government is serious about sustaining an agricultural economy in New Zealand, they should be
removing barriers to servicing rural communities, not increasing them,” Mrs Stafford says.
Rural families are continually faced with more expense as services become increasingly centralised. With lack of child
care facilities in rural areas – how does a family get a second income to pay for increased education expenses?
RWNZ took their concerns to the Minister of Rural Affairs, Damien O’Connor, back in December 2003, but no respond was
forthcoming.
Mrs Stafford says that since the recent demise of the rural affairs policy section in MAF, the Minister has very little
power to affect change in areas of social concern.
ENDS