3. KATHERINE RICH (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Is he expecting a rise in the number of kindergartens that shift from traditional 3 and 4-hour sessions to all-day licences as a result of “20 hours free”, and how will he monitor the provision of “20 hours free”?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) Link to this
A number of kindergartens have been moving from sessional to all-day licences, because they consider that this allows them to better respond to the needs of working parents. However, only a small number of kindergartens have indicated that they are changing their licences as a result of the 20 hours free policy. Indeed, most kindergartens are moving into providing the 20 free hours as sessional services. On the second question, the ministry will be actively monitoring the roll-out of free early childhood education and will investigate any complaints raised by parents, or the member. The Education Review Office will also undertake its usual 3-year cycle of reviews.
Can the Minister confirm reports from his own officials that the monitoring of the 20 hours free policy will be primarily through complaints received from parents, but that, even then, the Ministry of Education, and I quote, “does not necessarily have the ability to enforce funding rules in a way that helps achieve good outcomes for parents.”?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
As usual, the member tries to cast things in a way that she would like them to be, rather than as they are. The Ministry of Education has made it clear that it will carry out the normal monitoring of these processes, and that the Education Review Office will do the usual 3-yearly cycle of reviews. That will include handling complaints from the member, or any other parent who may wish to raise complaints. Of course, the basis of all of this policy is to ensure that the spirit—or the practice, in fact—of the 20 hours free policy is carried out.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary Link to this
How much difference will 20 free hours make to families in New Zealand?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
It will be a significant change. A family paying a typical fee of $4.50 an hour for 20 hours will save around $90 a week in fees. That is about $4,500 a year. Even if a family is already getting the standard childcare subsidy of $1.31, or volunteers to pay a $20 a week optional charge, it still will be more than $50 a week better off. So parents around this country are very much looking forward to the introduction of this policy.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
In the interests of public debate, can the Minister tell us what reports he has received in respect of other views on this policy, including those of political parties, and are there political parties that have no policy at all in respect of this issue?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
I have received a number of reports on that matter, and I thank the member for his party’s endorsement of the principle of 20 free hours. But one major party in Parliament does have a policy, and it is called scrapping the 20 hours free policy completely. So not one single parent would benefit from that policy.
Can the Minister confirm Ministry of Education reports that state that in the event of overcharging there are “limitations of the sanctions at their disposal”; that in many situations “the ministry would be unable to prove that a service had broken the rules about fee charging”; and that the risk is “the Ministry of Education may not be able to enforce the funding rule about fee charging.”?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
The rules are clear: the 20 free hours must be delivered free of charge to parents, but optional charges can be established. The ministry has made it clear to the member, and to many other people around the country—and she smiles because she knows that it is true—that the ministry will carry out its normal monitoring, and the Education Review Office will follow up with the 3-yearly cycle of reviews.
Is the Minister saying that there are rules but they cannot be enforced, that the ministry is relying on parent complaints to be the primary method of monitoring this policy, and that his own officials admit that even in the event that they get complaints, they will not be able to prove them or do anything about them so that there are good outcomes for parents?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
As usual, the member would love for that to be the policy, because then she could kick it to death as she is trying to do now. Unfortunately for her, the policy is not that. She is saying those things; no one else is.
Paula BennettDoes the Minister agree that children form attachments with the staff and the other children in a centre, and that these stable relationships are critical to the well-being of a child; if so, how does this fit with centres turning away children who will not sign up for all-day sessions?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
I do agree that attachment theory is part of any stage I psychology class. I imagine that the member has taken that class, and that is why she knows about it. We look forward to young people being even more attached to their centres, because of the 20 free hours.
How does the Minister respond to the mother in Dannemore who was told that if she did not sign a form stating that her child would now be enrolled full-time, there would no longer be a part-time place for her child, as the 20 free hours policy had forced the centre to now offer only full days?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
First of all, I would feel sorry for the mother that her case was being advocated by Paula Bennett, and, secondly, I would say that if there is a case to answer, as we have already said, complaints can be directed to the Ministry of Education.