Children will be the big losers in today's budget, says New Zealand Kindergartens Inc.
Clare Wells, chief executive of the national group representing 29 of the 33 kindergarten associations across New Zealand, said members were deeply shocked at the Government's decision to cut funding to early childhood education services.
"As community-based, not-for-profit organisations, kindergartens rely on the funding from government to meet most of our costs," she said.
"The budget will strip over $12 million per year from kindergarten budgets. We will have to make up the shortfall by cutting back spending which could jeopardise the quality of our service, or be forced to pass some costs on to parents. That means children could miss out."
Currently, early childhood education centres receive government funding at different rates, depending on their proportion of qualified teachers. Those employing 100 percent fully registered and qualified teachers, like kindergarten, receive the highest funding rate. The budget cuts will see funds taken away from kindergartens and other centres where more than 80 percent of teachers are fully qualified.
"There is little doubt that the cost cutting by the Government will have negative results, potentially reducing quality and participation," said Ms Wells.
"Either way, it is the children and the families that lose out. The benefits of quality Early Childhood Education are proven. This shortsighted decision could actually end up costing the Government more in the long run."
