In any sector there are always changes.  One of the things we are seeing in the early childhood sector is announcements of redundancies pre government funding cuts.

Wanganui Kindergarten Association are to make 14 teacher aides across its kindergartens redundant at Christmas due to government funding cutbacks (see NZEI press release and Labour Party press release). The teacher aides were employed in addition to the government required/funded teacher-child ratios to assist the qualified teachers with administrative and set-up tasks.  

With many of its kindergartens operating on a full-day license the Wanganui Kindergarten Assn will receive less government funding from February 2011 when the higher funding rate incentive to employ more than 80% of qualified/registered staff is dropped.   This will not affect sessional kindergartens which are protected by law and will continue to be funded for 100% registered/qualified teachers.

When reading of redundancies in the newspapers it can be hard to know what the real cause is in every situation.  Undoubtedly there will be redundancies because of government policy.  But it is also likely that some redundancies will be because of the economy. 

The economy is still weak and businesses (early childhood services included) look to ways to improve cash flows and keep some capital in reserve.  This can mean such things as renegotiating rents with landlords, or experimenting running with lower inputs than in the past including staff. 

Further Reading:
"Are Qualified Teachers Really Necessary?"  published in Education Today - The Education Magazine of the Future, Issue 6, 2010, Term 4.  click here for a PDF  

Comments  

 

0 # Trish Taylor-Pope 2010-11-08 10:07

While many industries may be struggling due to downturn in economies this is not the case and identifying a particular organisation as you have in this article and suggesting that it could be due to other factors is completely misleading for readers. The only reason why the Association is having to make staff redundant is due to the drop in the funding that they will receive from the Government in 2011. Announcements have been made pre February when the cuts take effect to allow the teacher aides time to seek alternative employment prior to February 2010 when they would have otherwise started back in the Kindergarten for the beginning of term 1 2011. Kindergartens close from 17 Dec through to Feb 2011 in line with other education sectors. The teacher aides are employed through to the end of term 4 2010.

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0 # sarah farquhar 2010-11-29 17:34

Perhaps the teacher-aides highlighted by NZEI and media coverage were not really made redundant - it sounds like they were (or should have been)on fixed-term agreements if, as you say, their employment was to the end of term 4 in any case.
Here's some quick info for everyone on the difference between fixed-term and permanent employment. Early childhood services can employ staff on a fixed-term contract if there is a genuine reason for doing so e.g. to fill in for a permanent teacher or teacher aide on leave or if they will no longer be needed after the completion of a project. Fixed term agreements are useful to bring in labour/extra staff as and when needed. But note that under the Employment Relations Act, employers (including early childhood services) should not employ staff on a fixed term agreement if the position is really a permanent one (eg if the position would be offered again after a school holiday break.

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0 # Heather Te Huia 2010-11-10 11:44

Yes this is true we have also made two qualified teachers redundant they were asked to finish at the end of 2010 however we gave them the option to start looking for jobs and of course they got them immediatly so it was not by choice however our funding for the Nov round was less 75 thousand than it was for the same time last year as it includes that advance funding wow what a shock.. People are preparing for the worse and are nervious for the future particularly those of us that are community based small operators who have no other way of making up funding. scary.

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