Tolley’s double standards on ECE       

The Government has today confirmed that it is offering two standards of Early Childhood Education to the detriment of low income New Zealand families, Labour’s Early Childhood Education spokesperson Sue Moroney said today.

“The announcement from Education Minister Anne Tolley shows National is happy to offer the highest quality to wealthy communities who can afford to pay and are resorting to playgroups and street gatherings of pre-schoolers for less-affluent communities,” Sue Moroney said.

“The rate of participation of children in quality early childhood education will reduce if all the Government intends to do is fund 3500 more children.

 
“The Minister knows that she needs to fund 19,000 places by 2011 to keep the high rates of participation achieved by Labour and improve rates for Maori and Pacific children.

"Playgroups have their place in early childhood education, but the Government is developing policies where only high income neighbourhoods can afford 100% qualified staff for their children's education, while low income neighbourhoods get inferior services.

 
“All the research says that children from low-income communities benefit from high quality early childhood education.

“The Government is doing the opposite. In May's Budget the Government cut $295m from funding high quality early childhood education right across New Zealand.”

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