Readers’ response

Dear editor,

As it stands now, early childhood centres get different amounts funding from the government depending on the percentage of (ratio-ed) staff they have that are qualified and registered early childhood education teachers.

So if you have 80 percent qualified teachers you get so much funding, and if you have 100% then you get more. That extra money goes to classroom materials and staff wages, so as you can imagine, a qualified teacher gets paid more than an unqualified one.

Now the new 2010 budget changes this by removing the 100% incentive.

Early childhood centres are businesses just like any other. They need to watch their bottom line. In order for a centre that currently employs 100% qualified teachers to stay at the same level of profit they now have two options.

One, fire 20% of their qualified staff and hire people with no experience who will work for minimum wage. This of course results in a weaker education system for your young children.

Two, increase the cost of sending a child to their centre. This is where it starts to get really scary. Once all the centres go down one of these two paths that leaves parents with a choice; a choice many of them have no real say in because of financial means.

Scared yet? I am.

Ki Mansell
Christchurch

Dear editor,

Firstly, I believe it is very short-sighted of the current Government to plan to cut early childhood spending. It is well documented that funding spent in the early years has multiple positive flow-on effects later in life. It is very sad that there will be such a disincentive to have a full team of qualified teachers in early childhood centres. By removing the top funding band, centres may not be so concerned about employing fully qualified teachers, thus reducing the status and importance of early childhood education.

Secondly, in regards to PORSE in-home childcare managing director Jenny Yule’s comments, having a qualification doesn’t disable us from bonding with children and showing warmth and empathy and sharing quality experiences with children. 

For many years past governments have encouraged teachers working in early childhood to either gain a qualification or upgrade their current qualification for the good of the centre and the children, not to mention a possible pay rise as a spin off.  Without this push we go back to the old days when early childhood teachers were seen as babysitters and not professional and experienced educators.  This is sad and disheartening for me.

Sally Franks
Christchurch

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