8. SUE MORONEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Does she support the findings of the Children’s Commissioner that small group sizes improve the quality of care and education for infants and toddlers?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
Yes, that is why we have minimum requirements for adult to child ratios and a minimum requirement for the number of children to space.
Is the Minister concerned, then, that the Children’s Commissioner found that group sizes need to be reduced for under-2-year-olds, just days after the Minister changed the regulations to allow group sizes for under-twos to increase—in fact, to treble—allowing up to 75 babies in one area when the maximum was 25?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I do not think that the member understands the policy change made in that respect. What was changed was not the centre size but that a centre would not need more than one licence to have more than 50 children. So, as a consequence, we still have the actual rules and regulations around the ratio of space per child. That has not changed.
Did she read this section of the report of the Children’s Commissioner: “Some centres can have up to 25 under-2s in one space. With high numbers and little open space, the … teachers reported that babies lacked the spacial freedom to move and toddlers were sometimes jostled and unable to experience enriched learning.”?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
The member does not discuss how big that space is. The minimum requirements under National are the same as those under Labour. I have read a quote, in a newspaper, made by the City Heights early childhood centre in Dunedin stating that Minister Tolley was to be applauded for removing an irritating, extravagant, and time-wasting piece of bureaucratic red tape.
Why did she decide to change the regulations regarding group size on 28 February, just 6 days after the Christchurch earthquake?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I do not think the member quite understands the issue. We have changed the requirement in respect of more than one licence. We have not changed the group size. We have not changed how many children can be in a centre. What we had was a requirement for three licences if a centre had over 100 children. There was a doubling up of administration, paperwork, and Education Review Office reports. It was completely ridiculous. As members can see, the change was commended by the sector.
I seek leave to table two documents. The first document is a letter from the office of the Hon Anne Tolley, dated 28 February, just 6 days after the earthquake, notifying an early childhood centre of the change to the regulations.
Mr SPEAKERThe second document I seek leave to table is a copy of the report of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner entitled Through their Lens. An inquiry into non-parental education and care of infants and toddlers.