Ōwhiro Bay Kindergarten

Our ngahere (forest) is taking shape for the South Coast Arts Trail with tamariki drawing insects on large leaves and Whaea Maddy making manu (birds) with tamariki unclaimed artworks.

Some of our rangatahi (leaders) got some inspiration today at the Enviroschools Energizer - ngā mihi nui for gifting us resources to make our own bug hotels at kindergarten. Connecting with the people and place is an important for us here at OBK and we appreciate everyone's mahi for this amazing learning experience for our tamariki.

Enviroschools Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui

Affordable, inclusive and high quality early childhood education is essential for tamariki, whānau and our society on the whole to thrive.

But what does high quality ECE actually look like? Research tells us some of the most important aspects of high quality ECE are:

✅ Fully qualified ECE teachers
✅ Good child to teacher ratios
✅ Warm environment where whanau and parents are welcomed
✅ Celebrating and nurturing of language, culture and identity

At Whānau Manaaki, we believe in the right of every child to quality early childhood education.

Early childhood advocates fear funding review will put business bottom lines over children Many early childhood advocates are worried about the future of their sector as consultation for a major funding review winds up.

'Is my child safe here?' Officials admit there’s no evidence behind childcare staffing ratios Teachers and advocates warn outdated ECE adult-to-child ratios put safety at risk as successive governments stall on key regulatory reform

NGĀ MIHI NUI WHĀNAU - thank you everyone who completed the ECE Funding Survey and standing with us for QUALIFIED TEACHERS & funding to support QUALITY ECE

🔈 🙋‍♀️Have your say! Oppose funding cuts for Kindergartens by 6 August, 5pm.

A government appointed funding review suggests less money for kindergartens and more taxpayer money going to private profit-oriented services.

This would mean Kindergartens will be forced to charge more, and some children will miss out completely on early childhood education.

🗓️ Have your say by making a submission before 6 August, when the consultation closes.

Your submissions can simply be describing what effect the rising cost of Kindergartens would have on you and your whānau. Link to submit in the comments below!

This morning we welcomed Andrew from Te Papa who share with us some taonga (treasures) that live in the moana (sea) and rockpools along the Southern Coast. We saw fish in jars - some with patterns, spikes, scale, fins and sharp teeth. A highlight was to see a massive shark eye - it was the size of our hands clenched together - you can check it out in the photos below.

Ngā mihi nui Andrew for sharing your time passion and mātauranga (knowledge) - memories were made and many tamariki sharing at the end of the day with whānau about the shark eye!

The early childhood education sector was the first to be reviewed by David Seymour's Ministry for Regulation. The resulting report in December 2024 presented 15 recommendations, all of which were accepted by the Minister on receipt - without public scrutiny and prior to being taken to Cabinet.

The centre-piece was changing the purpose of ECE regulations. By changing the purpose, any future regulation would meet a different threshold: primarily the interests of business and the labour market, rather than the interests of tamariki.

The Ministry recommended ways to address the "failures", including allowing "greater flexibility" of qualification requirements. "Flexibility" allows providers to employ people with lesser or no teaching qualifications and pay them accordingly.

Regulations exist for good reason: teacher qualifications are key to the provision of high-quality, teacher-led ECE services. Research studies both in Aotearoa and internationally over decades provide the evidence that teacher qualifications matter.

If some find the rule difficult to meet, you don't change the rule - you find ways to help people meet the rule, as the Government did in 2002.

WHĀNAU WE NEED YOUR VOICE

ECE Voice Powered by NZEI Te Riu Roa, ECE Voice is for early childhood teachers, kaimahi and their communities to unite and campaign for fair pay and better conditions.

Authorised by Stephanie Mills, National Secretary, NZEI Te Riu Roa, 79 Boulcott, Wellington

A sneak peek of some of the mahi toi (artwork) tamariki are working on for the South Coast Arts Trail in a few months - this will be the first year participating with our school.

Inspired by our natural environment - moana (sea), awa (river) and ngahere (forest) tamariki have started to create and our moana has quickly taken shape with petipeti (jelly fish) rimurimu (seaweed) ika (fish) and a giant megalodon (prehistoric shark)!

This is a critical time for early childhood education. After months of upheaval and change in the sector, we now have another report proposing more changes, this time to funding.

The consultation document that forms part of the government’s review of ECE, being undertaken by the ministerial appointed funding review group, has been released.

Kindergartens Aotearoa is concerned that it ignores the fundamental issue: the level of funding is simply not enough, and it hasn't kept pace with rising costs.

The options presented mean shifting money around rather than increasing it, with teacher qualifications, pay and conditions treated as areas where trade-offs can be made. These factors are fundamental to high quality provision, and undermining them would be devastating for the over 180,000 babies, toddlers and young children attending teacher-led ECE services each day.

Read more of our response below.