NZ Government asks for extension as responses to ECEC review flood in

New Zealand’s Regulation Minister David Seymour has asked the country’s Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks after receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days.

 

“The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been having, I know people are keen to have a bit more time to have their say,” he said.

 

Parents, teachers, long day care centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research bodies, and others connected to the sector have all contributed in the first 20 days, with providers noting that they are experiencing regulatory requirements being inconsistently applied, and there seems to be lack of clarity between what is a regulatory requirement and what is guidance, which in turn creates obstacles and an unnecessary burden for people.

 

Parents, Mr Seymour said, are saying they want more types of early childhood education, easier access, and more affordable options, and some parents also want fewer children per teacher.

 

Teachers, he continued, have said they would like to spend less time on compliance-based paperwork that does not benefit the children’s learning or care. They have also said they want a limit on group sizes, and fewer children per adult.

 

“What’s telling is that no stakeholders think the current regulatory system is working, which is why this review is so important. I encourage everyone who is interested in this work to have their say before the end of August,” he added.

 

“Through these regulatory reviews we can get back to enabling the impressive Kiwi ingenuity that we should be proud of. By removing unnecessary, costly, and limiting regulations that are obstacles to success.”

 

For those readers in New Zealand who may want to contribute to the review, submissions can be made through the engagement hub on the Ministry for Regulation website.