6. KATHERINE RICH (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Does he agree with the statement of an early childhood education provider on 20 free hours that “free doesn’t mean free in every instance.”; if not, why not?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) Link to this
No; because no parent is required to pay fees for the 20 hours of free early childhood education that his or her child receives. A service may ask a parent to agree to pay an optional charge. It is up to the parent to decide whether he or she chooses to do that, and a child cannot be denied a place at an early childhood centre because a parent will not pay an optional charge.
Why does he pretend that 20 hours’ free is free, when centres are planning new fees to cover day-to-day costs—not optional extras—such as a $10-a-day morning tea fee or a $10-a-day music appreciation fee; and how many 3-year-olds does he know who can chew their way through $10 worth of morning tea or music appreciation in a given day?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
Because 20 hours’ free is free. If the member has any particular concerns, she may like to give them to me, and we will look at them.
Dianne YatesHon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
I have seen an ambitious proposal to extend free early childhood education to playcentres and to services in rural areas that are not teacher-led, so that children at those services do “not miss out on this excellent policy”. I discovered that proposal in the National Party discussion paper on rural education, where National is looking forward to the introduction of 20 hours’ free. It is not clear how that statement fits with the campaign by Katherine Rich and Paula Bennett against the policy nor how National would afford it, with tax cuts being proposed as well.
Hon Brian Donnelly Link to this
Did the Minister ever play rugby in his youth; if so, did he ever receive such an awful hospital pass as that delivered by his predecessor, Trevor Mallard, in the form of the 20 hours’ free early childhood education policy?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
Yes, I have played in a rugby team, along with people like Trevor Mallard, of course, who has played rugby himself. I think that this is the kind of pass one gets from Dan Carter: it is perfectly placed, and we are running to the scoreline with it.
Why does the Minister pretend that 20 hours’ free is free, when some centres are planning new fees to cover day-to-day costs—not optional extras—such as an $80 payment for DVDs that one has to buy if one wants to get one’s child into a centre, a $20 per day “quality surcharge”, or $100 a week per child for access to reading materials; and does he accept that no parent in this country believes that a payment should be made for access to reading materials that we all expect from our childcare centres?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
Because 20 hours’ free is 20 hours’ free. Given the member’s propensity to make things up, I would like her on this occasion to give us the list of centres that are doing that, and we will look at it for her.
Does the Minister accept that after the implementation of the 20 free hours policy, where centres put in place planned fees, such as a $7 per hour extra fee for “quality updates”—that is, newsletters—a $10 per day morning tea fee, a $10 per day music appreciation fee, a $20 per day quality surcharge, $100 per week for access to books, or a compulsory purchase of DVDs in order to get one’s child in at the centre, most parents will not see 20 hours’ free as free, at all?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
The member needs to know that 20 hours’ free is free. If there are optional charges at a centre, they have to be agreed to. If parents do not want to pay them, then they do not have to. She can list as many fictitious charges as she likes, but they do not have to be paid if they are optional charges.
Heather RoyWill he be responding as Minister to the petition of Amy Malcolm and others, calling on the Government to honour Labour’s election promise that “20 hours’ free education will be provided for 3 and 4-year-olds at any licensed teacher-led service in New Zealand from July 2007”; if he will not be responding as Minister to the petition, why not?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
Ministry of Education officials have been in touch with the people involved with that petition, and they have discussed the issues with them in depth.
Paula BennettCan the Minister tell us the number of centres that will opt in to 20 free hours on 1 July, as the RS7 funding claim forms had to be in by 7 June in order for a centre to be eligible for funding?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
As I have said numerous times, the policy kicks in on 1 July, and at around that time we will be able to give people a very clear indication of the number of centres, the number of children, and all the details that go with that. As the member herself will know, because I know that she has been travelling a lot and driving up the number of people who are increasingly getting into free early childhood education—and I thank her very much for the Whakatāne visit; if she wants to go anywhere else we will help her to go there, because she is certainly helping with the policy—centres are still able to enrol. Even though the date was 6 June, centres can continue to enrol if they wish to, and they are doing that.
Can the Minister not simply have his ministry count the forms it had to have back by 7 June in order for the centres to be eligible for funding come 1 July, and let parents know how many centres have opted in for early childhood education under the 20 free hours policy—it is not hard?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
That may be important for the Opposition’s campaign against the policy, but from the point of view of parents, their relationship is with their local centre and the staff there, whom they talk to. Of course, around 1 July I will be more than happy to make available all the details of which centres are in the scheme, how many children and how many parents are involved, where they are, and so on. The member can work with the data from then.