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Scoop
5 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
A Dark Future Ahead For ECE
The Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector faces dark days ahead, with Budget 2025 funding lagging behind inflation and a two-year freeze on Pay Parity. ECE provision, teachers' pay and qualifications are being undermined, the Pay Equity claim has ceased, and a sector-wide survey revealed strong dissatisfaction and concerns over viability and rising parent fees. 'The sad reality is the government are demonstrating that they do not value ECE or that they do not believe the decades of evidence that attributes 'high-quality ECE' to better outcomes for children,' says Kathy Wolfe, Chief Executive of Te Rito Maioha. Yesterday the government announced sweeping changes to how new ECE teachers are paid, scrapping the need for employers to take into account qualifications, ECE teaching experience and other relevant experience. 'The new rules,' says Mrs Wolfe, 'give ECE centres the option of ignoring the qualifications or experience when employing a new teacher. An employer now can employ a new teacher on step one, the entry level salary for degree qualified teachers, regardless of whether they have multiple degrees and/or, regardless of their ECE work experience, or other relevant work experience. We sincerely hope that this will not happen and that employers will continue to value qualifications and experience. However without adequate funding, they will not have any options.' 'This government appears to be saying that experience and education no longer matter, that quality early childhood education can be sacrificed in the name of government cost-cutting. But what we know is that parents want the best for their children, not a system that drives passionate, qualified teachers out of the profession." 'The announcement to freeze Pay Parity for two years is also a further sign that the government's aim is to reduce their future investment commitments. This is purely a fiscal decision for the government. Employers now cannot opt into funded higher parity options to value their teaching staff. Unfortunately, it also stops New Zealand's move towards a fully qualified ECE sector and erodes our place as a world leader in ECE. 'It's clear to us that the recent changes were rushed and implemented without proper consultation, while the lack of investment in the Budget is the result of the government limiting its expenditure in ECE investment. We're heading back towards a system where quality education and what matters for our children are not the driving motivators behind government decisions. This is incredibly frustrating and sad, especially when you consider the significant return in future social costs when we get the right focus on investment in quality outcomes for children,' says Mrs Wolfe. A recent survey of the ECE sector revealed that over 68% of providers expect to raise fees, while 27% remain undecided. Only 5% said they do not anticipate a fee increase. 'Centres are telling us that the lack of funding in the budget will force them to raise fees, and reducing costs puts the quality of early childhood education at serious risk because the reduction will mostly be in staffing. Centres may end up reducing teacher-to-child ratios, cutting staff hours, hiring fewer qualified teachers, postponing repairs, shrinking food portions, or stepping away from Pay Parity all together where they are able. It's an absolute travesty, says Mrs Wolfe.' Toni Christie, Director of Childspace Early Childhood Institute and owner/operator of ECE centres, agrees, 'between the Pay Equity changes, the Regulations Review, and now this pay parity change create a picture which devalue qualifications and work experience for new teachers all happening at once, it's easy to see why the ECE sector feels under attack. Rather than focusing the Regulations Review on improving the safety and the wellbeing of tamariki, the main message seems to be a willingness to lower teacher qualification standards. Instead of investing in the profession and training more kaiako, the government is undermining the right of our predominantly female workforce to be fairly paid.' 'For over 40 years, consistent policy efforts have aimed to ensure that early childhood education is treated on par with the rest of the education system, including the goal of 100% qualified teachers. Now, the government appears to be signalling that high-quality ECE is not part of their strategy, using reviews and funding mechanisms to deliberately lower standards in the sector. This is a conscious policy choice and it is all being pushed through and announced without consultation or warning.' 'The deliberate freezing of providers being able to opt into higher levels of Pay Parity as they build up a more qualified workforce for two years, this reinforces the message that, 'quality and qualifications do not count'. 'No one wants to remove the education from early childhood education. That might be a cheaper option, but it fails to recognise the significant and critical developmental growth that occurs during these early years. Specialist knowledge and expertise that requires a qualified workforce is essential to meet the complex needs of our youngest tamariki. The changes being made under urgency and without consultation will have dire consequences for Aotearoa and our Tamariki, especially when we have the Minister of Education focusing on improving children's learning – it all begins in ECE!' says Mrs Christie. 'The big fear with all these policy decisions,' says Mrs Wolfe, 'is that the implications are real and severe. The funding shortfall and pay parity changes will result in record centre closures; decreased child participation in ECE; negative impacts on child learning, development and wellbeing; an increase in teacher shortages and a reduction in workforce participation by parents and caregivers.' 'In Budget 2024, ECE services absorbed most of the increased teacher salaries and rising operational costs due to inflation, with limited ability to pass these costs on to parents through fee increases. Centres did this in good faith, believing the government to follow through with timely and meaningful measures to address the resulting funding shortfall in the next budget.' 'Budget 2025 failed to honour this good faith approach and the widening gap between rising inflation-driven costs and inadequate government investment has now become unsustainable.' 'While an ECE funding review has been approved, it is going to take two years to see any benefit, so we urge the Associate Minister for Education to urgently provide interim investment or another form of financial relief until the review is complete. Without this, the sector faces the risk of systemic collapse. We remain committed to working with the government, but it's essential that the majority of voices within the sector are genuinely heard.' 'With around 194,597 tamariki, 33,309 teaching staff (qualified and unqualified) and 4,409 service providers[1] in ECE being affected by these sweeping changes, the government's move to focus on the commercial aspects of ECE as opposed to supporting quality ECE that then leads to better outcomes for our youngest people in school, paints a dark picture for our tamariki, says Mrs Wolfe.' Notes: The ECE sector has experienced a multi-year funding freeze prior to 2017 under National leaving the sector approximately 11% behind CPI over the last 10 to 15 years. The survey ran from 26/05/25 with 60 responses from kaiako, managers and owners and is accurate at time of release. Teacher Salaries affected by new rules To value experience and qualifications, New Zealand had a system that worked out ECE teacher's salaries in an 11-step system. 'Recognised Service' acknowledges your work experience with each year in ECE counting as a step.' If you were moving from a job outside of ECE, 'Previous Relevant Experience' recognised what was termed relevant experience as half a step, up to a maximum of two steps. A teacher's qualifications were also relevant, and determined what step on the salary scale a teacher began at. Employers may now choose what step a teacher starts on when they begin a new job. It will be entirely discretionary as to whether an employer counts previous relevant experience, previous ECE experience, or qualifications. relevant experience as half a step, up to a maximum of two steps. A teacher's qualifications were also relevant, and determined what step on the salary scale a teacher began at. Employers may now choose what step a teacher starts on when they begin a new job. It will be entirely discretionary as to whether an employer counts previous relevant experience, previous ECE experience, or qualifications. The rules do not change the pay rates of existing employee contracts. The Funding Handbook published by the MoE is third-tier legislation and is issued under section 548(5) of the Education and Training Act 2020. The new rules form part of the Handbook. There has been no consultation with the sector on these changes. Pay Parity and Teacher Salaries affected by two year Pay Parity freeze for two years from 9 June Under Pay Parity, to move up a step, a teacher needs to work 2,080 hours, which is the equivalent of one year of full-time employment. If you're a part-time teacher, you only move up once you hit the next 2,080 hours (which will be more than a year). How much funding a provider receives from the government is based on the age of the children and how many hours they are enrolled for, and the percentage of ECE qualified teachers a centre has. Centres choose which parity category they want to be on; this impacts their funding and the salary steps they need to pay. At each funding round (3 per year), ECE providers can move up from e.g. 'extended' to 'full pay parity'. From the 9 June the government have frozen the ability to change the opt in level for two years. Parties to the ECECA Collective Agreement would still need to count previous experience and higher qualifications when employing new teachers. 1 January 2025 rates 80-99% Qualified Teachers (Funding rates per enrolled child per hour, max 6 hrs per day) Base Rate Parity Steps 1-6 Extended Parity 7-11 & K2 Full Parity Kindergarten Under 2 $15.17 $15.67 $16.89 $17.98 $19.41 2 year olds $8.33 $8.63 $9.30 $9.91 $10.63 20 Hours $14.50 $15.01 $16.22 $16.86 $17.57 1 January 2025 rates 100% Qualified Teachers (Funding rates per enrolled child per hour, max 6 hrs per day) Base Rate Parity Steps 1-6 Extended Parity 7-11 & K2 Full Parity Kindergarten Under 2 $15.79 $16.32 $17.60 $18.60 $20.03 2 year olds $9.17 $9.50 $10.24 $10.74 $11.45 20 Hours $15.33 $15.86 $17.14 $17.68 $18.39
Scoop
23-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Welcome Budget Increases Number Of School Onsite Teacher Training Positions
Press Release – Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood NZ The increased funding announced in the budget by Minister Stanford to fund a further 530 places is a very welcome move, with those teacher trainees being offered a stipend and a contribution towards their tuition fees from the government. Primary Teacher training organisation Te Rito Maioha congratulates Minister Stanford on increasing the number of School Onsite Training Programme placements. The School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) provides funding for places in school-based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes where teacher trainees are hosted in schools 3 days a week while studying remotely towards their teaching qualification. 'Te Rito Maioha has been growing teachers via this method since 2016', says says Kathy Wolfe, CE Te Rito Maioha. 'We commenced our Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) in 2021 and our Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) in 2023 with great outcomes for new teachers. It's encouraging that the government has acknowledged this practical method of teacher training as an important tool in addressing the current teacher shortages due to the successes it has shown. The increased funding announced in the budget by Minister Stanford to fund a further 530 places is a very welcome move, with those teacher trainees being offered a stipend and a contribution towards their tuition fees from the government.' 'This programme intends to grow and maintain the pipeline of teachers by investing in onsite (in- school) teacher education. This fund covers the student tuition fee for their initial teacher education degree at their chosen provider, a stipend for students, as well as a koha to schools for providing a placement for students,' says Mrs Wolfe. 'As an organisation we have 11 education centres around the motu, offering online delivery and personable pastoral care, and all our ITE is field-based, meaning students can study while working in local schools. That's a win- win for combating local teacher shortages, graduates are ready to teach, and this often results in keeping local talent, local.' 'It's a fantastic way of learning. Our decision to offer this online model where our students are also in classrooms right across the country, has been the best thing we ever did. Not only are the students learning the theory online and with our excellent lecturers, from the primary sector, but they are then putting that theory into practice immediately. It makes for a much richer and practical learning environment for students and schools.' 'This learning model has been a very successful, with 98% of our graduates employed in schools upon completing their qualification.' [1] 'It's exciting that the Minister has recognised both the need in Primary Schools and the value of the SOTP programme and we look forward to again working with the Ministry of Education as they allocate further placements for 2026, says Mrs Wolfe.' Notes: Te Rito Maioha has seen significant growth in both our primary ITE programmes. Our 2025 enrolments for The Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) increased 61%, while the Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) increased 80%. Interested schools or students are encouraged to contact Te Rito Maioha to see if they qualify for the SOTP funding for 2026. Background: Budget 2024 funded 1200 School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) places for aspiring teachers to train in the classroom. Funding is for four years and expands the programme to include primary and intermediate as well as secondary. Provide a $20,000 package per placement to make it easier for SOTP teachers to train by providing a stipend toward their living and training expenses and a tuition fees contribution. Schools will also receive a costs contribution for each trainee teacher they work with. [1] The other 2% have generally gone overseas or through personal circumstances, have decided to do relieving work.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Welcome Budget Increases Number Of School Onsite Teacher Training Positions
Primary Teacher training organisation Te Rito Maioha congratulates Minister Stanford on increasing the number of School Onsite Training Programme placements. The School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) provides funding for places in school-based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes where teacher trainees are hosted in schools 3 days a week while studying remotely towards their teaching qualification. 'Te Rito Maioha has been growing teachers via this method since 2016', says says Kathy Wolfe, CE Te Rito Maioha. 'We commenced our Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) in 2021 and our Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) in 2023 with great outcomes for new teachers. It's encouraging that the government has acknowledged this practical method of teacher training as an important tool in addressing the current teacher shortages due to the successes it has shown. The increased funding announced in the budget by Minister Stanford to fund a further 530 places is a very welcome move, with those teacher trainees being offered a stipend and a contribution towards their tuition fees from the government.' 'This programme intends to grow and maintain the pipeline of teachers by investing in onsite (in- school) teacher education. This fund covers the student tuition fee for their initial teacher education degree at their chosen provider, a stipend for students, as well as a koha to schools for providing a placement for students,' says Mrs Wolfe. 'As an organisation we have 11 education centres around the motu, offering online delivery and personable pastoral care, and all our ITE is field-based, meaning students can study while working in local schools. That's a win- win for combating local teacher shortages, graduates are ready to teach, and this often results in keeping local talent, local.' 'It's a fantastic way of learning. Our decision to offer this online model where our students are also in classrooms right across the country, has been the best thing we ever did. Not only are the students learning the theory online and with our excellent lecturers, from the primary sector, but they are then putting that theory into practice immediately. It makes for a much richer and practical learning environment for students and schools.' 'This learning model has been a very successful, with 98% of our graduates employed in schools upon completing their qualification.'[1] 'It's exciting that the Minister has recognised both the need in Primary Schools and the value of the SOTP programme and we look forward to again working with the Ministry of Education as they allocate further placements for 2026, says Mrs Wolfe.' Notes: Te Rito Maioha has seen significant growth in both our primary ITE programmes. Our 2025 enrolments for The Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) increased 61%, while the Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) increased 80%. Interested schools or students are encouraged to contact Te Rito Maioha to see if they qualify for the SOTP funding for 2026. Background: Budget 2024 funded 1200 School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) places for aspiring teachers to train in the classroom. Funding is for four years and expands the programme to include primary and intermediate as well as secondary. Provide a $20,000 package per placement to make it easier for SOTP teachers to train by providing a stipend toward their living and training expenses and a tuition fees contribution. Schools will also receive a costs contribution for each trainee teacher they work with. [1] The other 2% have generally gone overseas or through personal circumstances, have decided to do relieving work.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
The Growth Budget That Starves Early Childhood Education!
It is a dark time for early childhood education (ECE). The government's budget has failed to deliver for our youngest learners, leaving the sector even worse off than they were a year ago. 'The ECE sector can't grow when it's being starved of funding,' says Kathy Wolfe, CE Te Rito Maioha. 'Investment in education is vital for the wellbeing of everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand, so for ECE to receive a 0.5% funding increase while inflation runs at 2.5% is nothing less than a funding decrease at the worst possible time.' 'The ECE sector has experienced a multi-year funding freeze prior to 2017 under National leaving the sector approximately 11% behind CPI over the last 10 to 15 years. While the government touts the new Social Investment Fund, it is ironic that ECE, which aligns with a social investment approach of early and effective intervention to improve outcomes for tamariki, has yet again been stifled in a so-called investment budget.' 'The time and place for investment in our future is now, and that investment must begin with our youngest tamariki. ECE providers will have no option but to pass the increased costs of providing early learning onto parents. This budget has provided few opportunities to reduce the cost of living for parents with children.' 'With around 194,597 tamariki, 33,309 teaching staff (qualified and unqualified) and 4,409 service providers[1] in ECE being affected by funding decisions, we were very hopeful that the government's stated priority for education would result in appropriate investment for early childhood education. On this priority, the government has not delivered.' 'This is a missed opportunity for the government to deliver on some of the systemic changes that are sorely required and to fund the sector appropriately. Whilst the sector are grateful that there is a small increase of 0.5% in funding for ECE providers, it doesn't even keep up with inflation which is running at 2.5%. That's effectively a funding cut and that's very disappointing.' 'Te Rito Maioha has been continuously advocating for an ECE Funding Review to fix a broken system, so we are pleased that funding of $3.8 million has been confirmed to address funding and finally rectify fit for purpose and meaningful investment in ECE to all providers, teachers, tamariki and communities. However, any expected changes are likely to occur no earlier than 2027, far too late to support a stressed ECE sector and a better increase for the sector, the very least at inflation, would've landed better.' Te Rito Maioha's Five Point Plan outlining the changes that are required in the Early Childhood Sector. Improve teacher: child ratios Our ECE ratios are currently among the worst in the OECD. This needs to change to ensure tamariki receive the quality education, care, and attention they need to thrive, learn, and stay safe. Develop and implement a Strategic Teaching Workforce Plan We need a Strategic Teaching Workforce Plan to attract, retain, and grow a professional, culturally responsive ECE teaching workforce within Aotearoa New Zealand. This means prioritising ongoing investment in initial teacher education across all education sectors and ensuring supply and demand for teachers is well managed through this plan. Fund ECE services sufficiently Provide sufficient funding for ECE services to deliver quality education for tamariki and ensure kaiako are paid fairly and equitably—without placing the burden of high fees on parents. Replace the ECE funding model The current ECE funding model is outdated and not fit for purpose. The sector urgently needs an investment strategy and funding model that better supports today's working whānau, tamariki and ECE services to deliver quality education. Simplify regulations Regulations should ensure tamariki safety and quality ECE delivery without burdening ECE services or kaiako with repetitive, labour-intensive paperwork from multiple government agencies that keep them from tamariki education and wellbeing.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Minister Takes Steps To Support Teachers
On behalf of the many teachers in Early Childhood Education and Primary, we applaud the Education Minister's move to fund teacher registrations and practising certificates that teachers currently bear. 'This is a very positive move by Minister Stanford,' says Te Rito Maioha CE Kathy Wolfe, 'this will help some 40,000 teachers, providing an incentive for teachers to remain, and join the teaching workforce.' 'We hope this announcement forms part of a larger education workforce strategy to encourage teachers to choose this profession, and for others, to remain in the profession.' 'The funding for three years to reduce the burden on our teachers is a significant step in the right direction, especially as the Ministry of Education has admitted that the sector will have an undersupply of 750 primary teachers and 500 secondary teachers this year, as well as the shortages in ECE.' "Every lever must be pulled to ensure Aotearoa maintains a high-quality workforce dedicated to teaching our tamariki and young people - putting their educational success at the heart of everything we do." 'While this announcement is significant and welcome, the Minister of Education needs to reassure the ECE teaching workforce that her commitment to a quality education system is not undermined by Recommendation Ten in the ECE Regulations Review.' "That recommendation risks lowering the quality of early childhood education and undermining the teaching profession in Aotearoa. However, we will hold Minister Stanford accountable for ensuring that all teachers in ECE are qualified through initial teacher education. We take some reassurance from her statement reported in the media on 12 February, where she said, 'It is absolutely essential that we have qualified teachers in the room if we want to get outcomes for children before they come to school.'' Minister Stanford went onto say, 'We must make sure that early childhood education is just that - education and not a baby sitting service because if you want young people to be school-ready and hit the ground running they need to have good oral language skills, good numeracy skills and self-regulation and that requires qualified teachers in the classroom.' Minister Stanford, RNZ Removing teacher requirements could be devastating, Teaching Council says. 'It's great to see Minister Stanford's commitment to a high-quality teaching workforce,' says Mrs Wolfe. 'However, we urge the Minister to work with Minister Seymour to ensure today's positive intent is not cancelled out by the concerns of ECE teachers as they worry about their professional qualifications being undervalued or watered down to reduce the teaching shortage and reduce costs. Teacher shortages are not caused by having a qualification and a qualified workforce.' 'The uncoupling of funding from ITE qualifications is a significant threat to both the quality delivery of early learning, and to the profession of the teaching workforce. Such a policy will have a significant unintended consequence of undermining the profession, an outcome that would exacerbate the current teacher shortage due to undervaluation.' 'Minister Stanford acknowledged a teacher shortage following the Ministry of Education's significant error in the 2023 Teacher Demand and Supply Planning Project, underscoring the urgent need to prioritise teacher retention and recruitment across the entire education sector, zero to eighteen. Today's announcement is good news and a step in the right direction, however, we look forward to working with the Minister and Ministry as more needs to be done,' says Mrs Wolfe. Notes: This funding will cover the annual costs over a three-year period, including: • New registration and provisional certificates (domestic): $1.60m • Renewal of practising certificates: $13.53m • Limited Authority to Teach: $0.430m • Fee and levy including surcharge to move from provisional to full certificate: $2.03m • A one-off cost of $0.500m to make any necessary changes to the Teaching Council's IT systems to implement this initiative. Recommendation 10:
