“Think about children when you vote” said Amanda Coulston, Kindergartens Aotearoa spokesperson. “Tamariki can’t vote but they live with the consequences of the decisions we make. We have to make sure our decisions are in the best interests of 190,000 tamariki attending an early childhood education (ECE) service each day.”

Kindergartens Aotearoa has called on political parties to commit to ECE and adopt three key principles to underpin government decision-making, policy settings and investment.

• Access: ECE services in every community
• Affordability: universally funded ECE services for all tamariki
• Quality: high-quality teaching and learning in every ECE service

 

“Our tamariki have the right to participate in high-quality ECE” Amanda Coulston said. “It is a cornerstone of our education system in Aotearoa. It is a public good – in the same way schooling is a public good: the life-long benefits to tamariki and whānau are well documented as are the wider benefits to society.”

Strengthening not-for-profit, community-based ECE services, legislating a universal entitlement to high-quality ECE at the completion of paid parental leave, capping the level of parent fees, ensuring 100% ECE qualified teaching workforce by 2030 and paying them the same as their colleagues in primary education are some of the policy ideas we have presented to political parties.

“Our aspiration is the provision of high-quality, accessible, affordable, inclusive ECE in every community. We want to see tamariki and whānau thrive, rich in their language, identity and culture and empowered to care for people, place and planet: Aotearoa’s future depends on it.” Amanda Coulston said.