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EXCERPTS
New documents from the Ministry of Education reveal the early-childhood education (ECE) sector is tying itself in knots with regulations.
The Ministry yesterday released a series of long-anticipated reports on the sector. The Evaluation of the Sustainability of ECE Services noted successes in the sector, but was also scathing of the increasing complexity in running an ECE service.
"As a result, service owners and managers are finding that they need to spend more time attending to administrative matters," the report said.
"According to stakeholders this work is largely being absorbed by existing people rather than employing additional staff to assist."
The Government's controversial 20-hours-free policy introduced in July last year required cumbersome new data collection and reporting requirements, the report said.
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Among other requirements: Kindergarten associations faced new international standards on financial reporting.
Non-profit services wishing to keep their tax-exempt status had to register with the newly formed Charities Commission and submit annual financial reports.
ECE services had to keep up with evolving requirements in areas such as property maintenance, building standards and public health.
The pace of change and the number of changes taking place were causing stress and fatigue in the sector, to the point that the health of some teachers was suffering, the report said.
Regulations also contributed to a decrease in voluntary hours being contributed in the sector.
This posed a major threat to the sustainability of play centres because hiring more qualified staff increased costs, the report said.
Managing Director of Kindercare Learning Centres Glennie Oborn said regulations had stalled the opening of a centre for more than three years.
- reprinted from Stuff.co.nz