Benefits Of Early Childhood Education

August 8, 2007

Quality Key To Long-Benefits Of Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood Education sector's emphasis on quality education, delivered by qualified teachers, has yet again been reinforced by research says NZEI President Irene Cooper.

The report Early childhood education and young adult competencies at age 16 released today by the Minister of Education clearly shows that high quality ECE can have a positive, long-lasting effect on numeracy, problem solving and social competencies in teenagers.

"The NZEI is delighted to see this longitudinal study finds that quality, not quantity, is the determining factor in future outcomes because quality and participation are key goals of the ECE strategic plan Nga Huarahi Arataki - Pathways to the Future. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of quality education, as opposed to quality childcare, for preschoolers and that trained and registered teachers are critical to the delivery of quality," Ms Cooper says.

Quality in ECE has been steadily improving in recent years, the NZEI President says with the increase in the number of qualified teachers and with the corresponding increase in their pay, status and job satisfaction. But she says teacher turnover continues to be an issue and that can be detrimental to children.

"Retaining qualified teachers is essential. Retention is assisted by good employment conditions and we are concerned that research (both internationally and by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research earlier this year) has shown teachers in private centres have significantly poorer working conditions than their colleagues in community-based centres.

"All centres, whether community or private, receive more government funding if they employ more qualified teachers but there's nothing to ensure that is reflected in better teacher pay and conditions. Private centres are run on a commercial basis and have profitability as their first objective," Ms Cooper says. "We applaud the Government's 20 hours free ECE programme because it will enable more children to access ECE with qualified staff. However given the long-term significance of high quality ECE, Governments must ensure that public funds support quality education and not-for-profit provision. We believe it is essential that there is national network of publicly provided ECE Centres."

ENDS

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