Liz Gordon MP Tue Sep 21 1999

The Alliance released its policy for the kindergarten sector at the NZEI conference in Wellington today.

'This government's first act in education was to savagely attack Kindergartens by removing them from the state sector act, we aim to put them back where they belong,' Alliance Education spokesperson Liz Gordon said.

'Secondly we will then unify the kindergarten and teaching pay scales.

'The fact that there is a $15,000 pay gap at the top of the basic scale between kindergarten and primary teachers is a scandal.

'No Government can claim that they cannot afford to give pay parity to this 99 percent female workforce. The total cost is only around $15 million a year – about 5% of next year's proposed National Party tax cut!

'Finally the Alliance will overhaul the funding system for kindergartens and make it fairer.

'Funding will be based on a base rate reflecting the costs of running a kindergarten, with equity funding to reflect ethnicity, remoteness, special needs of communities and children, and the like.

'Teacher salaries will be paid according to a formula negotiated in a national collective employment contract.

'The Alliance believes a free high quality, well-funded, professional, accessible and diverse system of early childhood education is needed throughout New Zealand. Properly funding Kindergartens is the first step,' Liz Gordon said.

The Alliance will be releasing the rest of its early childhood education policy at a later date.

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