PRESS RELEASE WELLINGTON PLAYCENTRE ASSOCIATION
FRIDAY 22 AUGUST 2008
Record number of graduates for Playcentre’s 60th Birthday
Wellington Playcentre Association will celebrate the achievements of a record 321 graduates who have gained certificates
towards the NZQA recognised New Zealand Playcentre Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education at the Johnsonville
Club today. The graduates include 18 men.
“Playcentre is in very good heart,” said Bev Kata, Wellington Playcentre Association Education Convenor. “In the year we
are celebrating our 60th birthday nationally, we also have a record number of parents completing qualifications,” she
said. “Our graduation event today, ‘Through the Decades,’ is a chance to recognise the hard work our parents have put
in, and the huge contribution Playcentre has made, and continues to make, to local communities and their children and
families throughout Wellington.
“One of our star graduates is Sharyn Richardson of Tawa-Linden Playcentre – she has achieved three certificates towards
the Diploma programme in one year! This is a superlative effort by a relatively new Playcentre member,” said Bev Kata.
“Sharyn has two children, Levi aged 2, and Jade, 5 months.”
Playcentres are run by parent cooperatives, and each session is supervised by trained parent teams. Playcentres operate
under the early childhood curriculum, and the Competent Children study rates them as providing excellent quality
educational outcomes.
“In my view, it is the quality of our education programme, along with the hands on experience parents get from working
with the children and with each other when they are supervising Playcentre sessions, that enable us to provide this
excellent learning environment for our children, said Bev Kata.
“Parents at Playcentre find that not only do they gain parenting techniques, and skills to help their kids learn, they
make life long friends and gain a whole lot of new skills for themselves,” said Bev Kata. “It is wonderful to see there
are so many parents in Wellington who are taking up the opportunity to be actively involved with their children’s
education, with all the benefits that brings to them, their children and their community.”
There are 39 Playcentres in operation throughout Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti Coast and the Hutt Valley, catering for
children from birth to school entry. Parents are offered free NZQA recognised training in child development, positive
guidance, communication, and management skills. Wellington was location of the first Playcentre ever in NZ - in Karori
in 1941.
ENDS
For more information about Playcentre, please see www.playcentre.org.nz