Kindergartens Aotearoa says the passing of the Education and Training Amendment Act last week signals a further move to downgrade the quality of early childhood education.

The Education and Training Act is now focused on reducing the costs to business at the expense of our children. It considers early childhood education as an adjunct to the labour market rather than an important investment in our children. It weakens minimum standards and reduces accountability for public funding.

It will undermine the confidence of parents, whānau and the communities in our early childhood education services.

The Act ignores research evidence related to teaching and learning because of its narrow focus on costs.

Kindergartens Aotearoa represents 260 community-based, not-for-profit early childhood education service providers around the country operating 260 licensed services catering for over 12,000 tamariki and whānau each day, from Auckland’s North Shore to South Otago.

Sherryll Wilson from Kidsfirst Kindergartens says quality early childhood education is an investment in our youngest children that has lifelong benefits.

“Making education all about costs and profits and allowing parents to work diminishes our children’s potential. This approach sets us back by decades.”

She says children must remain the central purpose of early childhood education, and their interests must be the priority.