Early childhood education
Types of early childhood education
providers
Around the age of three, your child will be ready for
some form of Early Childhood Education (although some children
start earlier than this). This may be at a kindergarten, preschool,
Playcentre or daycare provider: there are many different options to
choose from. To help you decide which is the right environment for
your child, we have put together a guide to some of the options for
Early Childhood Education (ECE) in New
Zealand. We have also put together some tips on
choosing an ECE provider here.
Public Kindergarten
COST:
Free
AGE:
3-5
ATTENDANCE: Sessional (morning or afternoon), sometimes
becoming full days as your child nears school
age.
Public Kindergartens provide a government funded
education for children aged between 3-5. Most do not charge a fee,
although some do charge a minimum 'donation' to assist with the
costs of running the kindergarten. Additional funding comes from
fundraising activities. Each kindergarten has a teacher/teachers
according to current Ministry of Education ratios, and in some
kindergartens parents become involved in sessions as parent-helpers
on a roster basis. Some kindergartens have waiting lists so it may
pay to enroll your child around his/her second
birthday.
Private Kindergarten
COST:
Varies, can be anything between $5-20 per session
AGE:
3-5
ATTENDANCE: Sessional (morning or afternoon), sometimes
becoming full days as your child nears school
age.
Private Kindergartens are much like public
kindergartens, except that they do not receive the same level of
government funding, and as such, charge fees for attendance. You
may qualify for a WINZ subsidy if your child attends a private
kindergarten. Some private kindergartens follow a particular
philosophy such as Montessori, or Steiner. Others run full day
sessions for children from age 3, so may replace the need for
daycare. Private kindergartens have a teacher/teachers based on
Ministry of Education ratios, and some undertake fundraising with
parent help. Many private kindergartens have long waiting lists so
it may pay to enroll your child early.
Daycare Centres
COST:
Varies hugely, but averages around $5-7 per hour
AGE:
Some daycare centres take children from birth.
ATTENDANCE: Hours available as required, usually
between around 7.30am-6pm
Daycare centres can be a good option for Early
Childhood Education if you work as your child can be enrolled for
full days, and they usually take children from shortly after birth.
Daycare centres are required to follow the Ministry of Education
curriculum in the same way that kindergartens do, and they also
maintain the Ministry of Education teacher: child ratios. Most
daycare centres have long waiting lists, so it pays to enroll your
child early, in some centres you can enroll your child even before
he/she is born!
Playcentre
COST:
Minimal, averages around $15-20 per family per
term
AGE:
From birth.
ATTENDANCE: Varies between Associations, but generally
a minimum of two morning/afternoon sessions per
week.
Playcentre is a parent-run co-operative based on the
principle that parents are the best providers of early childhood
education. Some centres have a qualified Educator at each session,
but for the most part sessions are run by parents. Playcentres
operate under the umbrella of a local Playcentre Association, and
there is an expectation that parents will undertake ongoing
training to enable them to better educate their children. This
training is provided by the Playcentre Association and is linked to
the NZQA framework.
1 comment for “Early childhood education”