Te Rito Maioha (ECNZ) welcomes the passing through Parliament of the Education and Training Bill.
Chief executive Kathy Wolfe says a lot of hard work has gone into developing the Bill, which is a great step in modernising and strengthening the education system.
“ECNZ is committed to high-quality early childhood care and education for all tamariki in Aotearoa New Zealand and we applaud the changes in the Bill that will contribute to the best outcomes for our youngest learners.”
“We support the introduction of a two-step process for licensing a new ECE service. This will ensure all local communities’ needs are considered before opening any new services.
“As part of the process, the licensing history of a provider’s other services will be considered to ensure that a lower quality provider cannot expand.”
“We also support the expanding of Education Review Office (ERO) powers in reviewing ECE services.”
“In terms of home-based education and care, ERO will be able to assess the quality of curriculum delivery to enrolled tamariki as well as their health and safety. This change will help ensure the quality of provision by home-based providers.”
“The addition to the Bill of a return to teaching pathway will make it easier for those who have taken a break from teaching to return to the profession.”
“Overall, we support the new user-friendly structure in the Bill and the way that it follows a learner’s journey though the NZ education system.”
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Ministry of Education on the implementation of changes outlined in the Bill,” says Kathy Wolfe.
The Education and Training Bill will come into effect the day after receiving Royal Assent, which, depending on the Governor-General's availability, may be within the next few days.