ERIC Number: ED351129
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1992
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Review of the Early Childhood Sector.
Meade, Anne; Dalli, Carmen
New Zealand Annual Review of Education, v1 p113-132 1992
This review chapter summarizes developments in early childhood care and education in New Zealand in 1991, focusing on government actions affecting the field. Initial discussion covers the revised guidelines for obtaining charters, or accreditation, for child care centers and service providers. It is maintained that these guidelines fail to address services for children from different cultural backgrounds, specifically aboriginal Maori children. Four governmental reviews of the early childhood sector are then discussed. These reviews cover: (1) aspects of the Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations of 1990 that relate to property; (2) funding of early childhood care and education under the 1991 national budget; (3) staffing, training, and qualifications; and (4) the Early Childhood Development Unit. The paper is critical of the fact that the 1991 budget called for less stringent qualifications of early childhood staff; reduced funds for in-service training and advisory support; noncompulsory registration of kindergarten teachers; and staff-to-child ratio for children under 2 years of age in mixed-age group centers of 1:5 instead of the previous ratio of 1:4. These and other governmental decisions in 1991 threatened efforts to achieve excellence in early childhood care and education. Contains 30 references. (MDM)
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A