Kaiako and kaimahi from around 100 early childhood education centres across the motu will take strike action for the
first time ever on Wednesday 8 November after voting last month to take industrial action.
The teachers, who are part of the Early Childhood Education Collective Agreement (ECECA), say their negotiations have
reached an impasse. This is due to not-for-profit, community-based services not being funded enough by the government to
support the high quality ECE they deliver. More funding is needed to support better teacher: child ratios and more
experienced and qualified kaiako.
NZEI Te Riu Roa ECE representative Megan White, manager at Capital Kids cooperative childcare centre, says the current
system is broken.
“The Government’s current ECE funding arrangement is a ‘one size fits all’ model, set to the minimum teacher: child
ratios. Funding rates do not reflect many of these community services that provide better than minimum ratios, and more
experienced qualified kaiako.
"Most of our employers are parent boards and we know this impacts families, so we are not taking strike action lightly.
Both we and our parents know that the ultimate answer to this crisis lies in the government’s hands. Members want to
send an urgent signal to our communities and to the incoming government about the need to fix ECE, for the sake of our
tamariki.
“It is well-known that the first 1000 days are the most important in a child’s life. Most of our centres have
long-serving kaiako providing low teacher: child ratios because we know this gives tamariki the individualised education
and care they need in their early years.
“Currently, ECECA services are effectively penalised for prioritising high-quality ECE for tamariki and whānau,” says Ms
White.
Over the last decade many ECECA services have closed, others have had forced changes to operating models or have had to
compromise their commitment to better teacher: child ratios because of the funding restraints.
In this same time period, the ECECA has gone from a 3-year to a 2-year to a 1-year collective agreement with the
government. The most recent Agreement was for a 6-month term as both members of NZEI Te Riu Roa and Te Rito Maioha
employers have waited for movement in funding rates that recognise their commitment to quality.
NZEI Te Riu Roa President, Mark Potter, says ECE funding and policy settings have been unstable through successive
governments which has had a disproportionate impact on ECECA centres.
“During the latest round of negotiations, NZEI Te Riu Roa members were unable to reach an agreement with Te Rito Maioha
employer representatives that met members’ claims.
“This strike is not an action that members take lightly, but they have been left with no option. ECE kaiako are
passionate about offering the best learning environment for our tamariki.
“We are asking the government to deliver additional funding that prioritises quality, supports full pay parity; and
holds tamariki and whānau at its heart,” says Mr Potter.