1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: Heather Dupa cl So. 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 2: When you surveys reporting a worrying trend in primary schools, 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 2: this is out of Auckland primary schools. Ninety percent of 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 2: them say kids are starting without basic skills like being 5 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: able to hold a pencil, identifying the letters in their 6 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 2: own names, and even being toilet trained. Mind works like 7 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 2: mind works, Psychologist Sarah Chapman is with me. Now, Hi, Sarah, Hi, 8 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 2: what is going on here? 9 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 3: What is going on in the homes? Given that these 10 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 3: kids can't even identify their names, you know, they haven't 11 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 3: been toilet trained or even started. So there's something in 12 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 3: that that needs to be looked into in terms of, 13 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 3: you know, what parenting is going on in the first instance, 14 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 3: because I do not think that we can look to 15 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 3: early childhood educationalists to provide you know, education at that level. 16 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 3: That's really really worrying. And then I think it speaks 17 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 3: to you know, how important good quality early childhood education 18 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 3: is in that it's really helping those kids transition from 19 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 3: you know that state to school. But man, when it's lacking, 20 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 3: there are some really big holes. 21 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 4: We gat surely, surely these are This is a very 22 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 4: very very very very small group of children who can't 23 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 4: do these things surely well. 24 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: I mean the numbers suggest that whilst it is a 25 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: smaller group of children than a larger group of children 26 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: who have those very rudimentary skills, they're still there so 27 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: it doesn't really matter. I mean, certainly things need to 28 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: be sharpened, but I think as parents we all need 29 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: to look at what is going on in the home 30 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: and why these very rudimentary basic skills are showing up 31 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: a in the early childhood education centers because it's quite 32 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: obvious to these teachers and these caregivers that you know, 33 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,279 Speaker 1: things are not quite right, and then this is putting 34 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: children so far behind when you have an ECE care 35 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: of saying, you know, this is basically holding children back 36 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: for three years when they're at school because they just 37 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: do not have these fundamentals. So whilst it's a small group, 38 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: they're still there, so they matter to me. They're important, 39 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: and I think we're seeing a trend in this small 40 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: group growing. 41 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:15,679 Speaker 2: What do you think is going on in the home? 42 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 3: I think that there are other things going on in 43 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 3: the home, a lot of other things. I think that 44 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 3: parents perhaps aren't queued into or you know, leaning into 45 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 3: a parenting role. They might be physically and financially challenged. 46 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 3: They have, you know, a different focus than their kids' education. 47 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 3: I don't know whether we're actually thinking about parenting when 48 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 3: we get involved in the situation of becoming one, because 49 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 3: hither you and I both know huge responsibility. I think 50 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 3: there's social media and access to things that really take 51 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 3: people's attention away from very important things like actually spending 52 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,679 Speaker 3: some time with your children, teaching them how to go 53 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 3: to the toilet, teaching them what their name is and 54 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 3: how to identify the letters in their name, some of 55 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 3: the very basic things that you know, a lot of 56 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 3: us do do with our kids, but certainly some of 57 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 3: us are not doing well. 58 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 2: Sarah, thanks very much, appreciate your time. Sarah Chatwin, who 59 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: is a psychologist at Mind. 60 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: Works for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live 61 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: to news talks. 62 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 2: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 63 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio.