Ei-iE

The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) - Te Riu Roa is pushing back on government measures aiming to deregulate early childhood education. The Education International member organisation warns that these profit-driven decisions will negatively impact the sector, undermining quality and inclusivity. NZEI Te Riu Roa is calling on education unions around the world to help defend early childhood education in New Zealand.

Early childhood education under attack

NZEI Te Riu Roa members have made great gains in recent years, achieving a pathway to pay parity for teachers in early childhood education with primary and secondary school teachers. The union also championed the right of Māori people to be taught in their own language from an early age and secured funding for measures which supported higher quality provision as part of the goal of having child-centred, high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education.

However, the Luxon government is now taking steps to scrap teachers’ pay equity claims, to undermine requirements for qualified teachers, and to remove safety and curriculum standards which uphold children’s wellbeing and Te Whāriki – the country’s ground-breaking bi-cultural curriculum.

Furthermore, Associate Education Minister David Seymour recently announced a decision to eliminate pay parity for newly certified teachers or those new to the sector, thus removing a pathway to wage justice for teachers.

This is an attack on teaching and means that employers can ultimately decide how much they pay those who are just starting out in the profession – rather than this being determined by the pay parity scheme, which accounts for qualifications, skills, and prior experience when setting teachers’ pay.

Teachers are key to achieving quality education and it is teachers' qualifications, professionalism, and expertise that make the difference for children. But teachers can only do their best when they’re respected, valued, fairly remunerated and supported with teacher-to-child ratios and conditions which create quality learning.

The current government is putting profit ahead of children in every decision it makes. And there’s more to come with a funding review announced for later this year.

Raise your voice for early childhood education in New Zealand!

Teachers and children in Aotearoa need your support and solidarity! Teachers’ rights must be defended. The rights of Māori people, the recognition and respect for the cultures, languages, and identities of all children must be defended.

Sign and share NZEI Te Riu Roa’s open letter calling on the Government to back quality early childhood education and to put students – not profit – at the heart of all decisions about early education.

To add your union’s name to the letter, contact [email protected]!