NZEI Te Riu Roa, the country’s largest education union, welcomes the $1.8 billion investment in Budget 2023 to fund full pay parity for early childhood education (ECE) teachers and the extension of 20hrs free ECE to all 2-year-olds.
Geena Fagan, an NZEI Te Riu Roa national leader and an early childhood teacher from Otago, said that the boost in parity funding to full kindergarten teacher rates was a historic win for ECE teachers, who had been fighting for parity for three decades.
She said the extension of 20 hours ECE free to 2-year-olds would improve access and make ECE more affordable for whānau.
"Full parity gives us the foundation for our next steps in ECE. We're excited to now work together for a fair pay agreement that will lock in this win. Improving teacher to child ratios is the next significant goal for ECE teachers to ensure all tamariki get the best start in life."
Recent media releases
-
Primary teachers reject Government’s substandard offer
Primary teacher members of NZEI Te Riu Roa have resoundingly rejected the Government’s latest collective agreement offer.
-
NZEI cautiously welcomes restrictive asbestos scheme, slams ECE exclusion
NZEI Te Riu Roa today cautiously welcomed the government’s newly announced, one-off support scheme for schools affected by asbestos-tainted sand but expressed concern that early…
-
Disabled students wait 116 days for essential learning support
Disabled students face a shocking wait of up to 116 days – or 64 per cent of the total school year – to access the essential learning support they need, according to Ministry of…