CHANGES

Funding cuts are already affecting Early Childhood and will continue to bring change. However the Early Childhood Sector in New Zealand is undergoing many changes. Mothers are moving back into the workforce. More mothers have a strong need for flexibility when their workforce places become less flexible (Ceglowski & Bacigalupa, 2002) and today’s work climate often requires that they work longer and less flexible hours. This is one reason for the recent increase in early childcare needed for our under twos. Recent statistics show this to be the fastest rising sector of early childhood.

The recent Children’s Commission Inquiry (2011) studied this rapid rise in under twos in non-parental early childcare services. They discovered that “a good proportion of the 4,205 babies enrolled were in centres for more than 30 hours a week” (p. 2). They state the importance for quality and ask “what defines quality ECE for infants” (p. 3).

 The Average Length of time that Babies Spend Weekly in Non-Parental ECE

http://www.childforum.com/news/300-childrens-commission-inquiry-infants.html

Duncan (2005) also raises this question as she discusses the rising number of two-year old children now attending kindergartens. She states that criteria for quality practices include primary caregivers and staff/ child ratios of 1-3. Duncan questions whether this is happening in kindergartens traditionally known for their care of over three year olds. With the recent funding cuts and the need now for higher numbers in kindergartens this practice is likely to increase.

The strategic plan (Ministry of Education, 2002) stressed the importance of “improving quality of ECE services” (p. 8). Their 10-year goal included strategies evaluated by the Ministry of Education (2008) of  “ECE services meet cultural and language aspirations”, “More registered teachers in ECE”, “Quality in parent-led services”, “Reduced ratios and group size”, “Te Whāriki effectively implemented”, and Quality teaching and learning practices” (p. 5).

The Ministry of Education (2008) states that between 2006 and 2006 action plans for inproving quality happened through “increasing the proportion of qualified registered teachers”, publishing Kei Tua o te Pae. Assessment for learning: Early childhood exemplars”, funding professional development and establishing Centres of Innovation (COI)” (p. 2). Pay parity for kindergarten teachers was introduced and 20 free ECE hours for three and four year olds.

Now that the funding cuts have come into effect it is disturbing to note that the criteria for qualified registered teachers has been cut from 100% to 80%, funding for professional development and COI’s has gone and kindergarten pay parity and ‘20 free hours’ is under threat. What is the point of pay parity if there isn’t a job available?

While the recent government’s decision to invest in increasing participation in ECE services is to be applauded, the strategic plan was always for this to happen in “quality” (Ministry of Education, 2002, p. 8) ECE services. The question also needs to be asked, whose definition of quality is the government planning to follow?

Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association Chief Executive Nancy Bell comments that “the taskforce to review early childhood education was appointed without consultation with the sector.”  She is concerned “by the secrecy around the establishment of the taskforce” and asks “if the intent is to further rationalize investment.” She concludes by stating “we hope that this initiative is not a thinly veiled cost cutting exercise” at the expense of quality. http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/Early-childhood-taskforce-established-without-co...  

My concerns and questions, at the conclusion of this blog into an investigation of funding cuts, are: Whose definition of quality is the ECE sector intending to follow; now that the strategic plan is no longer the government’s point of reference? Is it the top-down perspective of researchers and professionals? Will it be OECD reports from the international community that sees our early childhood children as commodities? Will the quality perspectives and concerns of mothers now in the work force be taken into account? Will the infants and toddlers who are now occupying our early childhood sector in increasing hours and numbers receive the quality care that is particular to their needs?  

Funding cuts have already affected ECE and this will impinge on the future quality education of New Zealand preschool children. 

References:

Ceglowski, D., & Bacigalupa, C. (2002). Four Perspectives on child care quality. Early Childhood Education Journal, 30, 87-92.  

Duncan, J. (2005). Two year-olds in New Zealand kindergartens – What are they doing there?! The First Years: Ngā Tau Tuatahi.  New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 7, 4-8.

Media Releases. (2010). Early childhood taskforce established without consultation. Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association. Retrieved 17 March, 2011 from http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/Early-childhood-taskforce-established-without-co...   

Ministry of Education. (2002). Strategic plan for early childhood education: Pathways to the future: Ngā Huarahi Arataki. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Mitchell, L., & Hodgen, E. (2008). Locality-based evaluation of Pathways to the future-Ngā Huarahi Arataki. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

The Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (2011). Children’s Commission Inquiry into under 2s in non-parental ECE childcare. Retrieved 28 March 2011 from http://www.childforum.com/news/300-childrens commission-inquiry-infants.html

EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES AS A COMMODITY

Kesting and Fargher, (2008) from the Journal of New Zealand Employment Relations, reinforce this concept of early childhood services as a commodity. They argue that NZ has “one of the lowest labour force participation rates of women in the 25-34 age group among OECD countries,” (p. 16) even though increased participation by women shows that “New Zealand has a relatively high labour force participation rate (the 6th highest in the OECD)” (p. 17). They say this is linked to mother’s childcare arrangements. The OECD reports are concerned about “labour market productivity” (p. 18) and it relationship to childcare.

Kesting and Fargher (2008) state that “4,479 establishments provide childcare to nearly 191,000

children” (Ministry of Education, 2007 as cited in Kesting and Fargher, 2008, p. 19)… “because

childcare is profitable , and there is a big demand for it” (p. 20). Their goal is that New Zealand should be utilizing its labour force better, in particular encouraging women in the 25-34 age group back into the work force. Kesting and Fargher’s (2008) reasoning is that “from a macro-economic perspective well-educated, highly skilled and motivated stay at home mothers are a loss of potential economic growth” (p. 29).Their conclusions and recommendations are that childcare service providers in New Zealand could be achieving this through:

- continued regulation according to international quality standards.

-turning public Kindergartens into full-time providers.

-the purchase of private childcare centres to increase the share of publically owned and administered centres.

-opening new publically funded and run child care centres in undersupplied areas.

Now that Early Childhood is facing the challenge of funding cuts; what is happening in the sector? Kindergartens are compelled to increase their hours due to funding cuts. The Napier Kindergarten Association received the applauded efforts of MP Chris Tremain who attended their latest conference and commented on how well they are adjusting to the new funding cuts with their increased hours and without reducing their 100% teacher qualified rates (Hawke’s Bay Today, 2011). Helen McNaughten from the Napier Kindergarten Association was less impressed saying that the “trickle-down effect” (Hawkes Bay Today, 2011) of funding cuts was only just beginning.  

The Ministry of Education (2011) states that “The Government has also invested in building ECE services on existing school sites in the Counties Manukau area. This includes building at Weymouth Primary (Manurewa), beginning on 11 May, and building of a centre at Mansell Senior School (Papakura), beginning shortly. The Tāmaki Project, which is under development, also involves increasing ECE participation. In addition, the Discretionary Grants Scheme has supported the building of ECE centres with 410 new places for children nationally since July 2009.”

References:

Kesting, S., & Fargher, S. (2008). The effect of early childhood education and care (ECE) costs on the labour force participation of parents in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations, 33, 16-33. Abstract retrieved 25 April, 2011, from ProQuest database.

McNaughten, H. (2011, 20 April). Kids to pay price for funding cuts. Hawke’s Bay Today, 6.

Ministry of Education. (2011). ECE participation:  Factsheet about the Government's priority to improve ECE participation for Māori and Pasifika children, and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds.Ministry of Education. Retrieved from Ministry of Education website 26/04/11.

Tremain, C. (2011, 20 April). Doing more with less. Hawkes Bay Today, 6.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ECE IN NEW ZEALAND.

The Early Childhood sector in NZ “has undergone rapid transformation, including the integration and regulation of all early childhood services under the Department of Education in 1986, the development and implementation of the bicultural curriculum,Te Whariki (Ministry of  Education, 1996), the requirement that all teachers in early childhood centres hold a minimum diploma qualification by 2012, and a first-ever strategic plan for early childhood education, Ngā Huarahi Arataki (Ministry of Education, 2002)” (Farquhar, 2008, p. 46).

Early childhood care and education began in NZ with a series of education reform bills with early state intervention during the late 19^th century. This welfare liberalism sought to unsuccessfully amend the effects of poverty and neglect prevalent in NZ at this time. By the mid-20^th century early childhood care and education “was linked to the role of motherhood” (Farquhar, 2008, p. 48). Kindergarten was the preferred, socially acceptable, form of early education even after the Bailey Report and the Hill Report (Bailey, 1947; Hill, 1971, as cited in Farquhar, 2008, p. 48). By the 1980’s feminism and biculturalism became stronger and child care was transferred from the Department of Social Welfare to the Department of Education in 1986.

However childcare workers were still receiving the lowest wages in NZ and the government brought in their report Education to be More and Before Five (Department of Education, 1988 as cited in Farquhar, 2008, p. 48) to amend funding, administration, quality controls and curriculum. Farquhar (2008) states that the funding recommendations in this report were frozen and cut by the “neoliberalism” policies that dismantled “the welfare state in favour of free market liberalism” (p. 49) in government throughout the 1990s. Nevertheless the bicultural, early childhood curriculum Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996) was implemented at this time.  

In 2002 the Ministry of Education published a 10-year strategic plan for early childhood The strategic plan set out three core goals, “increasing participation in quality ECE services, improving quality of ECE services and promoting collaborative relationships” (Ministry of Education, 2002, p. 8). Farquhar (2008) states that implementing this strategic plan resulted in “a period of rapid professionalism” (p. 51).

Farquhar states that recent OECD reports from the international community has “herald a shift in thinking…by investing in early childhood education, OESD countries are seen to be improving their human capital, increasing women’s participation in the labour market… [for] improving productivity and profitability” (p. 52). Early childhood services in New Zealand, from a historical perspective, appear to have undergone changes from an emphasis on care, to education, to becoming a commodity.

References:

Farquhar, S. (2008). Early childhood care and education: From advocacy to institution. In V. Carpenter, J. Jesson, P. Roberts & A. Stephenson (Eds.), Ngā Kaupapa here: Connections and contradictions in education (pp 46-56). Australia: Cengage Learning.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga Mō Ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa / Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education. (2002). Strategic plan for early childhood education: Pathways to the future: Ngā Huarahi Arataki. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

QUALITY?

Money used from Government funding cuts has been sidestepped to Tamaki where the Government says nearly 40% of children are missing out on ECE. Education Minister Anne Tolley says that while Government spending in the past 5yrs has hugely increased in ECE, participation has increased by less than one per cent. NZ Childcare Association (NZCA) Chief Executive Nancy Bell welcomes this project, taking place in Waitakere and Northland in low socio-economic communities, but is very concerned that it is coming at the expense of centres employing higher numbers of qualified teachers. She argues that it is ‘quality’ that will suffer. http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/increased-participation In another media release Nancy Bell states that “the impact on quality with ratios, professional development and the amount of qualified teachers [is] on the line.”  http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/Fees-up-quality-down-according-to-new-ECE-sur 

This government’s emphasis on involving young children in early childhood education and care is admirable but what is happening to the large numbers of children that are already involved in early childhood education? Are they getting the best care possible? This is defined by the perception of quality? Ceglowski and Bacigalupa (2002) define quality child care as having positive effects on children’s language ability, sociability and cognitive thinking skills. However they consider quality from four perspectives: researchers and professionals, parents, child care staff and children in childcare (Katz, 1993, as cited in Ceglowski and Bacigalupa, 2002).

Researchers and professionals use a top-down perspective. They look at the importance of attachment, child/teacher ratios, staff qualifications and stability, health and safety in the environment, adult/child interactions and parent-caregiver communication. These studies dominate current views of child care quality. Because many of today’s parents work, parents are strongly influenced by program flexibility and staff responsiveness to their family needs. Child care staff are concerned about their relationships with administration, colleagues and parents and children are concerned with comfort, acceptance and their activities.

Pence and Moss (1994, as cited in Ceglowski and Bacigalupa, 2002 ) state that our perception of quality has been dominated by the professional perception. They state that quality is “subjective in nature and based on values, beliefs, and interest, rather than an objective and universal reality” (Pence and Moss, 1994, p. 172).

So what are these researchers and professionals saying? Kagan, Brandon, Ripple, Maher, and Joesch’s (2002) American model of quality suggest that quality is caught up in the trilemma or “tension among program quality, staff compensation and affordability of care” (p. 58). Kagan et al. state that resources are inadequate and they consider how the resources have been spent. Their expectation has been that funds would be spent to increase numbers of children in childcare. Their suggestion is that not all staff members need to be qualified. However to maintain quality they strongly suggest pay parity for trained teachers with degrees, ongoing professional development and regulation to “ensure a basic threshold of protection for each child” (p.62). 

Boocock, Barnett and Frede (2001) agree that the “increased participation of mothers in the labor force, dwindling family size and disappearing extended family support that have transformed American family life” (p. 43) today is also relevant for many in other international countries. They say that worldwide “governments face intense pressures to economize on preschool services by reducing support or relaxing standards” (p. 43).

All the different international countries agree that attendance at high-quality preschool programs show cognitive and socioemotional development. However high-quality is differently defined by different countries. Consistent results continue to be maintained in Sweden where about half of all young children go to supervised, subsidized childcare. Later success in schools is “explained by the fact that public programs are well funded and have well-prepared staff and small group sizes” (p.46). Boocock, Barnett and Frede (2001) state that although Americans invest in rigorous research, children however get “the childcare you pay for” (p. 49).

So in what direction is Early Childhood Care and Education in NZ headed? 
Funding cuts in NZ seem to indicate clearly a change of direction. It also appears important then to see where we have come from?

References

Boocock, S., Barnett., & Frede, E. (2001). Long-term outcomes of early childhood programs in other nations: Lessons for Americans. Young Children, September, 43-50.

Ceglowski, D., & Bacigalupa, C. (2002). Four Perspectives on child care quality. Early Childhood Education Journal, 30, 87-92.  

Kagan, S., Brandon, R., Ripple., Maher, E., & Joesch, J. (2002). Supporting quality early childhood care and education: Addressing compensation and infrastructure. Young Children, May, 58-65.

Media Releases. (2010). Increased participation at the expense of quality.  Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association. Retrieved 17 March, 2011 from http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/increased-participation 

Media Releases. (2010). Fees up, quality down according to new ECE survey. Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association. Retrieved 17 March, 2011 from http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/Fees-up-quality-down-according-to-new-ECE-sur 

Ministry of Education. (2010). ECE funding boost for Tāmaki. Education Gazette: Tukutuku Kōrero, 21, 7.

REALITIES & REACTIONS

Hawke's Bay Rally for Funding Cuts.

Teachers wore green around the country to show their solidarity to fight funding cuts, stated Crayton-Brown from the Southland Times, after the government announced the removal of funding bands for centres with 81% - 100% qualified teachers.

ONE News announced the government’s $285,000 budget cuts as they came into effect on January 31 this year. ONE news stated that $70 million of annual government funding disappeared from our Early Childhood Centres,

Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association’s Chief Executive, Nancy Bell, said this decision has cost 2,000 services between $20,000 and $50,000 per year. A survey report on 199 Early Childhood Services, taken in October 2010 before funding cuts were introduced, showed that parent fees will increase while quality falls. Parents would be facing a $10 - $50 increase. http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/Fees-up-quality-down ONE News revealed that Labour’s research suggests an increase of up to $80.00 a week.

Bell is seriously concerned that around 93,000 children nationwide will be affected by funding changes. http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/ECE-budget-brutal-blow-to-children-and-families 

Such a dramatic financial cost to the early childhood sector must have dramatic and far reaching consequences for our vulnerable young children in New Zealand. Lazo-Ron from the Daily Post in Rotorua identified that parents are already struggling to cope with fee rises due to the October 1 GST increase.

Lazo-Ron commented that Kiddycorp, one of New Zealand’s largest Early Childhood Providers, remarked that they needed to walk a fine line between offering quality yet affordability to their parents. In November 2010 they hadn’t raised their fees but were concerned that it would become necessary.

Udy from the Bay of Plenty Times declared that the budget eliminated two of the highest bands of subsidies. These were removed from those services employing more than 80% qualified registered teachers. This included all Kindergartens.

Funding cuts have brought dramatic change to Kindergartens already. They were directly affected when the government announced that it would no longer give extra funding to Childcare Centres that have 100% qualified teachers. Pease, from the Taranaki Daily news, announced in January that for the North Taranaki Kindergarten Association, that represented a loss of $407,000 per year. Changes such as longer sessions have already happened and there is now more emphasis on full rolls to receive full funding which means more children per session. Although changes are already being implemented the Kindergarten Board is stating that it will not charge families for their 20 hours free early childhood education and they are committed to retaining qualified teachers.

The funding cuts have already brought change. These changes are now ongoing. What will this mean to the Early Childhood Sector, the children, their parents and their teachers?

References.

Crayton-Brown, K. (2011). Teachers vow to fight funding changes. The Southland Times. Abstract retrieved 14 March, 2011, from ProQuest database.

Lazo-Ron, J. (2010). Childcare slash upsets Taupo mother. The Daily Post. Abstract retrieved 14 March, 2011, from ProQuest database.

Media Releases. (2010). ECE budget brutal blow to children and families. Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association. Retrieved 17 March, 2011 from http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/ECE-budget-brutal-blow-to-children-and-families 

Media Releases. (2010). Fees up, quality down according to new ECE survey. Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association. Retrieved 17 March, 2011 from http://www.nzca.ac.nz/news/press/2010/Fees-up-quality-down

ONE News.  (2011). Petition opposes early childhood fee rises. NATIONAL News. Abstract retrieved 14 March, 2011, from ProQuest database.

Pease, L. (2011). Funding cuts force kindergarten changes. Taranaki Daily News. Abstract retrieved 14 March, 2011, from ProQuest database.

Udy, C. (2010). Protest at ‘dumbing down’ of education. Bay of Plenty times. Abstract retrieved 14 March, 2011, from ProQuest database.