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
-
Education sector unites against Government’s wholesale curriculum changes
Educators representing 34 organisations have slammed the direction, pace, and lack of genuine consultation in the Government’s rushed, wholesale curriculum changes.
-
$90,000 per student: Charter schools bleeding taxpayers dry
Newly released documents have exposed the staggering price tag of the Government’s charter school experiment, with the cost to taxpayers reaching nearly $90,000 per student – more…
-
Attendance to determine school lunch funding from Term 2
A programme designed to prevent tamariki from learning on an empty stomach is being repurposed as a truancy tool, with school lunch funding tied to attendance from Term 2,…