Taskforce to lead to more cost cutting in ECE

National’s Early Childhood Education taskforce is designed to further increase costs for families, says Labour Spokesperson for Early Childhood Education Sue Moroney.

“National has already cut nearly $400 million from ECE and the taskforce announced by Anne Tolley today will almost certainly lead to more cost cutting,” Sue Moroney said.

“This taskforce has been set up without any consultation with the early childhood sector. The terms of reference have been set by Anne Tolley a Minister who has so far been happy to reduce the numbers of qualified teachers at each ECE centre and whose cost cutting will see increased fees for parents.

“If Anne Tolley was serious about having a taskforce on ECE its terms of reference would include monitoring the effect on families of fee increases and the quality of education children receive after the number of qualified teachers have reduced at each centre.

“This is a Minister whose handling of her ECE portfolio can only be described as incompetent. Parents and children are bearing the cost.

"Even today Anne Tolley insisted on quoting unreliable data on participation rates, when her own Ministry says that enrolments have increased 10% since Labour increased funding to the sector so that costs reduced for families at the same time as quality increased.


“New Zealand children deserve better than a government that is putting cost cutting above their education,” Sue Moroney said.