Minister welcomes release of ECE Taskforce report

URL: Minister welcomes release of ECE Taskforce report
Anne Tolley | Education
Education Minister Anne Tolley has welcomed the release by the Independent Taskforce of a report on the future of early childhood education in New Zealand. The Minister established the Taskforce in October 2010 to review the effectiveness of ECE spending and to make recommendations on proposed improvements, including changes to funding and policy settings, for a sector which will benefit from $1.4 billion of taxpayer investment in the year ahead, and which received a $550 million boost over four years in Budget 2011...

Fit for Purpose Qualification

URL: Fit for Purpose Qualification
The New Zealand Home-based Early Childhood Association said today it is delighted to endorse the Open Polytechnic launch of a “fit for purpose” qualification for educators who provide in-home childcare.

KickStart Breakfast Notches Up Two Million Nutritious Breakfasts - Voxy

Voxy

URL: KickStart Breakfast Notches Up Two Million Nutritious Breakfasts Voxy KickStart Breakfast the school breakfast programme, run by Fonterra and Sanitarium, has today celebrated serving its two millionth breakfast for Kiwi children on World Milk Day, 1 June 2011. To mark the occasion rookie chef and leading New Zealand ...

Special college not a risk - Ministry - Auckland stuff.co.nz

URL: Special college not a risk - Ministry
Auckland stuff.co.nz
"An assessment centre is part of the design of the new facility. A comprehensive assessment will be carried out before a student is enrolled to ensure the individual needs are assessed and programmes are put in place to meet these needs. ...

Gifted Awareness Week: A time for questions « Red Alert

Gifted Awareness Week: A time for questions « Red Alert
It caused me to think about National's national standards and how much harm the “one size fits all” approach does, not only to those students who are labelled failures but also those who need different challenges than ...

Investment in Early Childhood Education Critical - Scoop.co.nz (press release)

URL: Investment in Early Childhood Education Critical
Scoop.co.nz (press release)
“However, we would be concerned if the mechanism used is a version of the national standards operating in schools.” 1 NZ Kindergartens represents 29 of the 33 regional kindergarten associations covering some 430 services and catering for around 28000 ...

More help, more costs in childcare plan - New Zealand Herald

Voxy

URL: More help, more costs in childcare plan New Zealand Herald Hayley Whitaker, spokeswoman for educational sector union NZEI, warned that targeting funding could mean a watering-down of 20 hours and introducing a more user-pays or part-subsidy model. "Parents would be concerned to see any moves which would ...

Early help call for at-risk children - Otago Daily Times

3News NZ

URL: Early help call for at-risk children Otago Daily Times The report was released yesterday by Prof Sir Peter Gluckman, chief science adviser to the Prime Minister, and was prepared by a 21-strong task force co-chaired by Prof Gluckman and University of Otago research and enterprise deputy vice-chancellor and ...

Taskforce calls for big changes at pre-school - Otago Daily Times

Voxy

URL: Taskforce calls for big changes at pre-school Otago Daily Times An independent taskforce report calling for big changes to early childhood education - and its funding structure - has been welcomed by Education Minister Anne Tolley. Chaired by Dr Michael Mintrom, the taskforce recommended higher subsidies for ...

Push for more participation in early childhood education - New Zealand Herald

Voxy

URL: Push for more participation in early childhood education New Zealand Herald A new report on early childhood education includes a call for more funding targeted at increasing below average participation among Maori, Pasifika and low income familes. File photo / Hawkes Bay Today A major review has called for ...

Early childhood changes could cost families more

URL: Early childhood changes could cost families more
Middle income earners could lose early childcare subsidies if recommendations from a special taskforce are accepted. The early childhood taskforce has recommended axing the 20 hours subsidy and targetting funding to high priority groups.

More help, more costs in childcare plan

URL: More help, more costs in childcare plan
Parents wanting to return to the workforce should be better supported by employers - but those who are earning should also expect to pay more for childcare, says a review of early childhood education.The review, which was set...

Report urges strong ECE push

URL: Report urges strong ECE push
A major review has called for 'strongly differentiated payments' to increase lagging participation in early childhood education among Maori, Pasifika and low income families.Education Minister Anne Tolley set up the Early Childhood...

ECC statement on the report from PM's Chief Science Advisor

URL: ECC statement on the report from PM's Chief Science Advisor
The Early Childhood Council has called the report from the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, released today (01 June), ‘a compelling argument for the effectiveness of investment in early childhood education and the services that can be built around ..."

Report shows investment in early childhood critical – PHA

URL: Report shows investment in early childhood critical – PHA
The Public Health Association (PHA) has welcomed the report released today by the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, Sir Peter Gluckman, saying it forms the basis for an honest review of possible welfare reforms.

U-turn urged on early childhood education

URL: U-turn urged on early childhood education
The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says the report by the Early Childhood Taskforce confirms that the government is on the wrong track with its early childhood education policy and an immediate u-turn is needed. The Taskforce was set up by the ...

Investment in Early Childhood Education Critical

URL: Investment in Early Childhood Education Critical
The report from the Early Childhood Education Taskforce receives a cautious welcome from New Zealand Kindergartens (NZK)1. “The report’s strong advocacy for high quality ECE services is welcome” said Clare Wells, Chief Executive of NZ Kindergartens. ...

Early childhood centres given 'open cheque book'

URL: Early childhood centres given 'open cheque book'
Increased early childhood education costs are feared after a Government-appointed task force released findings.

Raft of recommendations from early childhood report

URL: Raft of recommendations from early childhood report
An eight-month report into early childhood education by a Government-appointed taskforce has suggested 65 recommendations 'for leading change' - one of which would reinstate funding scrapped by National.

Raft of recommendations from early childhood report - Stuff.co.nz

Voxy

URL: Raft of recommendations from early childhood report Stuff.co.nz An eight-month report into early childhood education by a Government-appointed taskforce has suggested 65 recommendations "for leading change" - one of which would reinstate funding scrapped by National. Taskforce chair Michael Mintrom said the steps ...

Playcentres give parents the support of their community

URL: Playcentres give parents the support of their community
A government report released today emphasises the importance of parents getting support for parenting in their communities, which is just what Playcentres are set up to do.

Report says current methods to help teens aren't working

URL: Report says current methods to help teens aren't working
A special report on teenage social problems has found many current methods used to curb problem drinking fail. It also found deficiencies with established methods of dealing with teenage pregnancies and drug abuse.

'Woefully deficient' youth services

URL: 'Woefully deficient' youth services
New Zealand has a 'woefully deficient' number of mental health services aimed specifically at young people, a report released today has found.The report, Improving the Transition for Adolescents, was requested by Prime Minister...

A generation to help Kiwi teens

URL: A generation to help Kiwi teens
It will take a generation to turn around the struggles facing adolescents, a comprehensive Government report says.

Early help call for at-risk children - Otago Daily Times

3News NZ

URL: Early help call for at-risk children Otago Daily Times A major report on adolescent health urges early moves to help at-risk children and to counter "an unacceptably high level" of poor outcomes among teenagers, including pregnancy, crime and mental health problems. ...

Chief scientist: Govt should adopt 'evidence-based' child policies

URL: Chief scientist: Govt should adopt 'evidence-based' child policies
Programmes aimed at helping young New Zealanders navigate their troubled adolescent years need to be based in fact, not ideology, according to a report.

Binge drinking at root of teen depression - doctor

URL: Binge drinking at root of teen depression - doctor
A doctor who claims youth binge drinking is at the root of issues like depression and unwanted pregnancies is pleading that the Govt listen to its advisors.

NZ universities sliding down world league

URL: NZ universities sliding down world league
New Zealand universities are sliding down a key world scale with the country's leader, the University of Auckland, at its lowest overall rating ever.