Te Rito Maioha Chief Executive Kathy Wolfe says NZEI Te Riu Roa ‘s survey of early childhood educators highlights the very real challenges the early childhood education sector is facing in maintaining high quality education for our youngest tamariki.
The survey revealed significant concerns about the impacts of teacher shortages on teachers and children. It found 96% of early childhood educators expect to see further negative impacts that if the teacher shortage continues.
However, almost 90% say pay parity with their peers in kindergartens and schools would help to solve some of the issues in the sector in attracting and retaining good teachers.
Qualified teachers in ECE currently receive significantly lower pay than those in kindergartens and schools, despite having the same qualifications and equivalent roles and responsibilities at work.
“With the Budget coming up in May, we support the calls from the sector for the Minister to commit to and deliver a significant pay parity increase as a matter of urgency.”
“All early learning teachers deserve to be paid the same as kindergarten and primary teachers. The serious underfunding of the sector has gone on long enough. The time for addressing it is now,” says Kathy Wolfe.