He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens, which operates 86 kindergartens in the Lower North Island as well as three home-based
networks, welcomes the government’s plan to strengthen the quality and raise the funding of early childhood education.
He taonga te tamati – every child a taonga - the draft strategic plan for early learning 2019-29 includes as one of its
first commitments the funding for 100 per cent qualified teachers.
Kindergartens have been struggling to retain quality services since funding was cut in 2010.
Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens’ chief executive Amanda Coulston says our children, our taonga, are entitled to a quality
early education with qualified teachers.
“We support changes that will lift quality across the sector, and will enable kindergartens to continue to provide
quality services to every child.”
Underfunding has stretched kindergarten services to the limit, with cuts, restructuring, job losses and even closures in
some parts of the country as we have maintained qualified teachers and kept costs to families at a minimum.
Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens as an organisation as well as many of the hundreds of teachers who work at our many
kindergartens will take part in the consultation process to improve the early learning experience of every child, says
Amanda Coulston.
“There are many great ideas in the draft plan and we will study them carefully and provide feedback to help ensure that
we have a future education system that meets the needs of all children.”