Early Childhood Update
Welcome to this issue of the early childhood education Update.
2008 REGULATIONS UPDATE
On 26 November 2008 the Minister of Education announced a review of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, which came into effect on 1 December 2008.
The purpose of the review is to ensure that the 2008 regulations and criteria do not place unnecessary burdens on early childhood education services or compromise the health, safety and quality of early childhood education provided to young children.
The 2008 regulations review consultation period has now closed; the Ministry of Education received a solid response from the early childhood education sector over the consultation period. Parents of young children enrolled in early childhood education services also provided their feedback on the 2008 regulations through regional focus groups.
A Working Group was established to consider the feedback received during the consultation period. The Working Group also considered the feedback received in the 2007 round of consultation and the views gathered from the parent focus groups.
The Working Group is tasked with reviewing the consultation feedback and developing recommendations for the Minister of Education on changes to early childhood education regulations. It is anticipated that the Working Group will report back to the Minister in April.
It is intended that any new early childhood education regulations will be in place by 1 July 2009.
Did you know that as at 1 July 2008 there were 4,649 early childhood education services, an increase of 3.8 percent – or 170 services – from 1 July 2007 or that there were more than 176,000 children in early childhood education?
These statistics come from the forms completed by early childhood services each year and give the Ministry of Education a wealth of data that contributes to a comprehensive information base on early childhood education in New Zealand.
All of this information is available at www.educationcounts.govt.nz, the Ministry’s online space for you to access statistical data, quantitative information and research about the education sector.
As well as a range of data and statistics, there are also reports and publications to be found including publications from related agencies such as the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Education Review Office.
If you are looking for information to do with educational statistics and research in New Zealand, then www.educationcounts.govt.nz is the place for you.
educate.ece.govt.nz is a new website that has been created for the early childhood community where ideas, aspirations and successes can be shared between services, researchers and the Ministry of Education.
The vision for this website is to provide a collaborative space where early childhood educators can share, reflect on and be inspired by quality teaching practices.
The website also offers access to Ministry curriculum resources that have not previously been freely available online and the site makes available information about Ministry funded programmes that focus on supporting and improving our knowledge of high quality teaching practices.
20 hours ECE
In February 2009 the Minister of Education changed the name of 20 Hours Early Childhood Education (20 Hours ECE) to better reflect the intent of the programme.
The 20 Hours ECE programme still means no compulsory fees for three and four year old children in teacher-led early childhood education services, including some kÅhanga reo, for up to six hours attendance each day and up to
20 hours attendance each week.
The Minister also removed the need for parents to complete a separate attestation form in order to enrol their child in the programme.
Since February 2009 parents of children claiming 20 Hours ECE are no longer required to complete a separate attestation form. Services will be required to include on their enrolment form an attestation section which includes some of the features of current attestation form.
This change means that services only have to get parents to attest to 20 Hours ECE hours once, when they first start to claim 20 Hours ECE. When a child’s enrolment changes any change to 20 Hours ECE hours will also be recorded on the enrolment form. This means changes will now only have to be recorded once, on the enrolment form.
Every other aspect of the 20 Hours ECE programme remains the same.
More information, including 20 Hours ECE hours attestation information that should be included on your enrolment form, can be found www.lead.ece.govt.nz
20 Hours ECE Absence Funding and Charges to Parents
Over recent months there have been a number of enquiries from early childhood education services around 20 Hours ECE funding received from the Ministry of Education where a child – aged three or four – is absent for more than three weeks.
For Services: A service may claim funding from the Ministry of Education for every hour a child is enrolled to attend under the 20 Hours ECE programme, but is absent from, within a three week period. The three week period begins on the first day of absence.
It is important for services to clarify with parents exactly what is provided under the 20 Hours ECE programme, this includes any fees the service intends to charge parents once Ministry funding ends, following an absence of three consecutive weeks.
The Ministry does not interfere in the enrolment policies of early childhood education services. Services are required to have policies relating to the governance and management of services, including enrolment and complaints. Services should discuss their enrolment policy, including any fees associated with absences and/or service closures, with parents to prevent misunderstandings, services should also ensure that their policies are non-discriminatory.
For Parents: 20 Hours ECE means that the Government funds 100 percent of the average cost of early childhood education for three and four year old children for up to six hours each day, and up to a maximum of 20 hours each week. Your service must not charge you compulsory fees for the hours that they provide under the 20 Hours ECE programme, however, your service may set fees for hours outside of 20 Hours ECE.
If your child is absent - for a period of up to three continuous weeks - the Ministry will continue to fund your service while your child is away. The funding provided to your service for your child will stop after three continuous weeks of absence.
Once funding for the 20 Hours ECE programme ceases, your service may charge you fees for those hours after your three week absence period ends. Your service should inform you of any fees associated with absences and/or service closures.
Parents should also ensure that they have read and understood the enrolment policy of your chosen service; you should discuss any concerns you may have with your service.
What’s in your lunchbox?
Lunch Box is a blog that has been created by Sarah Jones to discuss how ICT is being used in learning environments.
Sarah works in the e-Learning Team at the Ministry of Education where she leads a range of classroom-based research and innovation projects.
Sarah has been working in e-learning since 2000 and she created Lunch Box for discussions about software and digital media and e-learning research and innovation in New Zealand schools. The blog is not for discussion about government policy.
The blog is associated with the website Software for Learning, which lists quality software recommended by New Zealand teachers and provides guidance on effective use in teaching and learning.
Note: Comments by users on Lunch Box will be moderated and inappropriate and off-topic posts will not be published.
ADULT:CHILD RATIOS
Recently the Minister of Education confirmed her intention to improve the adult:child ratio for children under the age of two.
As a result, the changes to ratios planned by the previous government will not come into effect in July 2009.
All current age bands will remain in place.
Breastfeeding in the workplace
From 1 April 2009 employers are required to provide appropriate facilities and breaks for employees who wish to breastfeed or express, taking into account both their operating environment and the available resources.
These breaks are unpaid, unless the employee and the employer agree otherwise. The breastfeeding breaks are in addition to standard paid rest breaks and unpaid meal breaks.
ESTABLISHMENT FUNDING ROUND THREE ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Minister of Education has recently announced $233,511 worth of Establishment Funding, which will benefit eleven early childhood education services.
Establishment Funding is a pool of funding available to community-based groups in the process of establishing a licensed early childhood education service, and existing services significantly increasing their licensed child places due to a building extension. It provides a contribution to assist services with the operational costs associated with meeting licensing requirements.
The funding is available to meet two types of operational costs:
- equipment and resources staffing and
- recruitment costs for qualified and registered staff.
Establishment Funding is allocated in four rounds every financial year, applications for the fourth round close on Thursday 30 April 2009 at 5pm.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR CONSULTATION ON FIRST AID EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES AND TRAINING
The Department of Labour has redrafted the Good Practice Guide on First Aid Equipment, Facilities and Training. One of the reasons for the revision is to align the first aid training requirements with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
registered unit standards.
The Department welcomes your comments on the draft document. All responses are due by Friday 8 May 2009 at 5pm. More information, including a copy of the draft Guide, can be found at www.dol.govt.nz
THINGS TO NOTE
Next Issue of update
The next early childhood education Update will appear in Volume 88 Issue 9, which is available from Monday 25 May 2009. If your service does not receive the Education Gazette you can subscribe at: www.edgazette.govt.nz
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ORDERING RESOURCES AND PUBLICAT IONS
The way you order early childhood education resources and publications has changed. Wickliffe now provides customer services for the Ministry of Education publications. If you need to order anything phone 0800 660 662,
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