Early Childhood Update 2009
Welcome to this issue of the early childhood education Update.
Extension for teacher registration targets
On 29 October 2009, Education Minister Anne Tolley announced that the timeframe for achieving the 80 per cent teacher registration target in teacher-led, centre-based Early Childhood Education (ECE) services has been extended to 2012.
Ministry of Education data indicates that the target of 80 per cent registered teachers by 2010 is not achievable and that 2012 is a more realistic target. It is estimated that over 1000 teacher-led, centre-based ECE services would be at risk if the 80 per cent target had to be met by next year. Extending the timeframe will reduce the immediate pressure on teacher-led, centre-based ECE services and ease the demand for registered teachers in the short-term.
Although the 100 per cent target has been removed Government remains committed to high standards in early childhood education. Retaining the 80 per cent target for registered teachers acknowledges the important role they play in maintaining high standards across the sector.
Currently, 50 per cent of staff in all teacher-led, centre-based ECE services must have a recognised ECE teaching qualification. Services can still choose to employ a greater proportion of ECE qualified and registered teachers than the 80 per cent target.
Go to the Ministry of Education’s Lead website www.lead.ece.govt.nz for more information.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES AT ECE SERVICES
All early childhood education services are required to have a procedure in place that parents, whānau and staff should follow if they wish to complain about non-compliance with the Regulations or Licensing criteria of an early childhood service.
Parents/whānau and/or staff may have concerns about a range of different aspects of a service and will need to know how to raise these issues so that their concerns will be taken seriously and addressed. The relationship services have with parents/whānau and staff is important so that issues can be raised in a safe and positive environment.
If someone has a complaint, they need to know:
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What action do they take?
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What action will follow from this?
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What feedback will be given to them and what will be documented?
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What should they do if unsatisfied with the results?
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Who deals with complaints from parents?
Complaints procedures should reflect an individual ECE service’s agreed practice to ensure regulatory requirements are met, in a way that reflects the ECE service’s own values and operation.
All of those involved in the service, including parents/whānau, staff and management, should have a shared understanding of agreed processes and procedures so that these are consistent, safe and appropriate. Those involved in the service must have the opportunity to discuss policy and suggest change through regular review processes.
In order to comply with the Licensing criteria all centre based, hospital based and Kōhanga Reo services are required to prominently display this complaints procedure. Home based services are required to ensure that parents are advised how to access this procedure.
For all services the complaints procedure must include the option to contact their local Ministry of Education office and provide the contact details for this.
A resource has been prepared, which includes a suggested template for developing a complaints policy and procedure. This can be downloaded and tailored to meet service’s needs and can be found on www.lead.ece.govt.nz
Financial reporting requirement changes
Current funding conditions require all early childhood education services to report annually to both the Ministry of Education and the community (parents, staff and whānau) on how government funding has been spent. This information, currently, has to be available at the service within 90 days of the end of the financial year.
Currently there is no income threshold determining which services have to provide a financial report.
Changes: What action do they take?
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The 90 days to provide the information has been extended to 180 days. This change is effective immediately. Services now have an extended period of time to prepare and send in their financial information to the Ministry of Education.
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From 1 January 2011 an income threshold is being introduced by the Ministry. Services whose income for the financial year, including all Ministry funding, fees received, and other forms of funding, is less than $80 000 will not have to provide a financial report. All services with an income greater than $80 000 will still have to provide financial reports within 180 days of the end of the financial year.
For more information on the requirements for financial reporting please refer to the Funding Handbook available on www.lead.ece.govt.nz. Please note the funding handbook is currently being reviewed and all impending changes should be updated by February 2010.
RS61 returns and Funding conditions
The RS61 form helps the Ministry of Education to account for the impact of Government funding by providing a snapshot of child enrolment.
This information is also used in the development of policy, monitoring and funding. In recent years the response rate to the RS61 has declined.
The Ministry has amended the funding rules to reflect the importance of the RS61 Return being completed by all early childhood education services.
A number of funding conditions were introduced on 1 October 2009 and can be found on www.lead.ece.govt.nz
One of these conditions includes:
Funding may be withheld in part or in full. The Ministry may, subject to any conditions and for any period, determine that no funding is payable either in full or in part for any service(s) where:
This year 175 services potentially could have had their funding withheld. It is essential that early childhood services return their RS61 forms correctly and fully filled out.
Services need to return them to the Ministry before the due date, which is usually in July, if services wish to receive their funding on time.
The Ministry will support services through contacting those that have not completed or / haveincorrectly completed their forms so they can be amended.
If services have questions on completing the forms contact their local Ministry office.More information on funding conditions is available on www.lead.ece.govt.nz
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
The Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 were amended on 27 August 2009 and came into force on 25 September 2009.
Fact Sheets that provide background on the 2008 regulations, changes from the 1998 regulations for each early childhood education service type and re-licensing and certification processes can be found on the Ministry of Education’s Lead website www.lead.ece.govt.nz.
Frequently asked questions about changes to the 2008 regulations, full licensing criteria, information on the review and amendments that were made to licensing criteria in July 2009 are also available on the Ministry of Education’s Lead website www.lead.ece.govt.nz.
Copies of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 go www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2008/0204/latest/DLM1412501.html.
For copies of the Education (Playgroups) Regulations 2008 go to www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2008/0205/latest/DLM1396401.html.
Hard copies of the current regulations are available from Bennetts’ or Whitcoulls’ bookstores.
20 Hours ECE New logo
Changes to 20 Hours ECE were announced in Budget 2009
From 1 July 2010 five year olds and those attending Playcentres and all kōhanga reo will be eligible for 20 hours of ECE without being required to pay fees. There will be more information and communications about these changes to 20 Hours ECE closer to the release date.
New 20 Hours ECE design
On 31 January 2009 the Minister of Education announced that the 20 hours early childhood education programme is now called 20 Hours ECE. 
All references to ‘Free ECE’ should be read as the same as 20 Hours ECE.
Following the name change some services requested a downloadable design so they could promote 20 Hours ECE to parents and communities.
We are now pleased to introduce a new design which will be used to represent 20 Hours ECE. You can view the new design, and access a downloadable version at www.lead.ece.govt.nzin the near future.
Out of School and recreation programmes and early childhood education services
The new early childhood education Licensing Criteria allow more flexibility for out of school and recreation programme providers and early childhood education services to share certain facilities as defined below. The following sets out how the Ministry will apply regulatory criteria in relation to out of school and recreation programmes sharing early childhood education facilities.
Out of school and recreation programmes are defined as programmes that:
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are run on a regular basis (i.e., at times when children are not legally required to be at school)
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are marketed to parents as a service
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enrol or keep similar records of children attending
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require a payment or donation for the children attending the programme.
The following guidelines aim to ensure:
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appropriate supervision of children attending the service
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the health and safety of younger children when older children are present
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the quality of education provided to younger children enrolled in the early childhood education service.
Guidance:
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Out of school and recreation programmes may only operate in the premises of an early childhood education service outside the operating hours of that service
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Those programmes that are using an adjacent or separate premise can share facilities identified by the sun symbol in the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 with an early childhood education service during its operating hours provided that the service’s use of the facilities still meet the access conditions outlined in 3(d)(i-iv) of the Licensing Criteria*
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Children registered in out of school and recreation programmes are not eligible for any Ministry of Education early childhood education funding. This applies irrespective of whether the out of school care programme operates within the maximum licensed places of the early childhood education service.
For the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 and information on the policy for out of school care and recreation programmes go to the Ministry of Education’s Lead
website www.lead.ece.govt.nz
*These facilities are limited to space for staff (PF9); preparation and cleaning of paint and art materials (PF10); telephone (PF11); kitchen facilities (PF16); toilets for adults (PF23); plumbing fixture (PF26); sick room (PF27). Reference can be found on pg 5 in Section Title and Commencement – Explanatory information of the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008.
TeachNZ scholarships for 2010
TeachNZ has made some significant changes to teacher scholarships. These changes will come into effect for study starting in semester one, 2010. The scholarships continue to target areas where there is the highest need, including early childhood education.
A comprehensive Guideline Booklet has been created to provide applicants with all the information they will need to apply. The Guideline Booklets and Application forms will be available as a downloadable PDF as each scholarship category opens. All scholarship applicants will need to meet the 2010 eligibility criteria as outlined in the Guideline Booklet.
For 2010, there will be 600 early childhood education scholarships available and additional early childhood education eligibility criteria for those living in the Counties Manukau area. The early childhood education scholarship round opens on 1 February 2010 and closes on 1 March 2010.
For more information visit the TeachNZ website www.teachnz.govt.nz
Things to note
NEXT ISSUE OF UPDATE
The next early childhood education Update will appear in Volume 89 Issue 3, which is available from Monday 22 February 2010.
If your service does not currently receive the Education Gazette you can subscribe by going to www.edgazette.govt.nz
PAST ISSUES OF UPDATE
Have you missed an issue of Update?
Past issues of the early childhood education Update can be found at www.minedu.govt.nz/educationSectors/EarlyChildhood/PublicationsAndResources/EarlyChildhoodEducationUpdate
ORDERING RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS
To order early childhood education resources and publications contact Wickliffe. Wickliffe provides customer services for the Ministry of Education publications. If you need to order anything phone 0800 660 662, fax 0800 660 663 or email orders@thechair.minedu.govt.nz
USEFUL LINKS
www.ece.govt.nz
www.educationcounts.govt.nz
www.softwareforlearning.tki.org.nz
www.lunchbox.org.nz