1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Concern from early childhood educators that proposed reforms would put 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: business over children. The government has recognized that current ECE 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,159 Speaker 1: regulations are outdated, but the sector says changes could love 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: with the standard of teachers. Early Childhood New Zealand CEO 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: Kathy Wilf is with me now, thanks for your time 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: this morning, Kathy, marenna, do you feel listen to from 7 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:22,240 Speaker 1: the results of this review where you're happy with the 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: general gist of it that we will. 9 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 2: Look we call for the review and the general gist 10 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 2: of it in terms of addressing some of the cumbersome 11 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 2: and complicated processes and overburdensome administration. Yep, there's some good 12 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 2: things in there. However, some of the recommendations are nine 13 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,319 Speaker 2: and definitely recommendation ten is something that we're not very 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 2: happy about. 15 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: At all, and you can for more detail on this. 16 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: How concerned would it move away from qualified teachers? 17 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 2: Be very concerning. Qualified teachers are trained to educate our 18 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: youngest children and they understand the development emotionally and intellectually 19 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 2: for children from a vreative vive and for school children 20 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 2: to be prepared for school, they need that education and 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 2: the qualified teacher is what is required to provide them 22 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: that education. 23 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: And why do you think there would be a move 24 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: away from this? What's the reasoning behind it? 25 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 2: It's mostly about funding. They are also saying it is 26 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: around teacher shortages, but there's absolutely no link to teacher 27 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 2: shortages and qualifications. The cause and effect of teacher shortages 28 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 2: is that we just haven't had a decent workforce strategy 29 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 2: that managers supply and demn't How do you want. 30 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: To see the balance between business and children struck here 31 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: when it comes to looking at these reforms. 32 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 2: Look, every early childhood service is a business, whether you're 33 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 2: in community based service or a for profit service. At 34 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: the end of the day, you've got to run a 35 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: viable business in order to give back to the ken community, 36 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: but also make short children not educated well, so you know, 37 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: and we're also publicly funded and we have to be 38 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: accountable for that public funding. So for us, it is 39 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 2: really important that that is the key thing about the 40 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,679 Speaker 2: public good and upholding the public good of education and 41 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: at each other. 42 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: Because it was a long it was it was quite 43 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: a fight. Wasn't it a while ago to get you know, 44 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: more qualified teachers into early childhood education. I can remember 45 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: that and of course, the big at that time, the 46 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: big negative it was going to cost us more because 47 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: we have to pay qualified people and things. But I'm 48 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: pretty sure that most parents out there would really like 49 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: the workforce to remain qualified absolutely. 50 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,839 Speaker 2: I mean, if you want, if you put your child 51 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: into an early childhood service, you want to know every 52 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: single day that your child is not only getting the 53 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 2: best care and their well being is looked after, but 54 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 2: they've been educated with a qualified person who understands how 55 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: a child develops. And that can be the difference between 56 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 2: an unqualified person who could have an impact on a 57 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 2: child through a perverse situation, where a qualified person would 58 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 2: absolutely know how to deal with the situation, and that 59 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: impact on a child can last for a very long time. 60 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: And can you any other major issues with the reforms. 61 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 2: At this stage, It's just going to be really about 62 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: working with the government and the ministry around the changes, 63 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 2: especially around the criteria for the licensing, So that'll be 64 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 2: a work in progress, as seymore mentioned, over the next 65 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 2: next week, while the qualification one is going to be 66 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: a very big focus for the sector and there will 67 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: be very big pushback on this one. 68 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: Kathy, I'm just wondering while I've got you if I 69 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: can ask you about the data and the Herald this 70 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: morning that revealed the government's estimate of the number of 71 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: families eligible for the full Family Boost payment was wrong. 72 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: Just year, two hundred and forty nine out of the 73 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: twenty one thousand the government seed were eligible have actually 74 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: received that maximum amount. The real number of families eligible 75 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: is unknown. What are your thoughts about that? 76 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: Well, we always said that the Family Boost was flawed. 77 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,839 Speaker 2: It doesn't reach the families that it should reach. And 78 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 2: also there's a few hoops the families have to jump 79 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 2: through to even get access to that, and they only 80 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: get accessed after that paid three months and then they 81 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 2: get repaid for that, and many families don't have that 82 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 2: money upfront. So we're hoping that Minister Seymour really has 83 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 2: a look at the funding for early childhood and we 84 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: really make a fitful purpose for both early child and 85 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: services as well as parents and really get the system 86 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,559 Speaker 2: fixed and working how it should. 87 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: We thank you so much, Katy, really appreciate your time 88 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: and your thoughts as wonder. That was k Thank you, Kathy. 89 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: That was Kathy from Kathy Will from Early Childhood, New Zealand. 90 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: You see that was a bit embarrassing those figures that 91 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: were released, But Nicola will have said that the iod's 92 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: advice was based on its best estimates at the time. 93 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: Unfortunately they got that wrong. But the ID found the 94 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: modeling for Family Boost challenging because it didn't have reliable data. 95 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 1: So apparently now they are trying to get as much 96 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: reliable data. But there's other things that complicated as well. 97 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: There's a possibility that some people went, oh, it's not 98 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: worth applying for it because I'm not going to get 99 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: a huge amount back, or they haven't got around to 100 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: clicking up all those receipts and applying for it yet. 101 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: But hopefully they'll be able to get that sorted as 102 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: soon as possible. 103 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 104 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 2: to News Talks at b from five am weekdays, or 105 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.