PRIME READER: Teacher Haley Turkington and Ryan Healy, 3, had their morning story read by Prime Minister Helen Clark at City Kids childcare centre, Wellington, at the start of the '20-hours free' early childhood education scheme. Subscribe to Archivestuff Have your say More than 27,000 children whose parents were promised 20 hours "free" early childhood education a week have been shut out of the scheme by defiant preschools. At least 1000 of the country's early childhood providers have ditched the controversial free hours policy, meaning only 70 per cent of eligible children will benefit immediately.
But the Government is trumpeting the figures as a "fantastic start" in the face of "determined wrecking efforts" by opponents, and hailing the policy as the biggest expansion of state-funded education since the 1930s. The embattled scheme - a key Labour Party promise at the last election - began yesterday after months of criticism over funding rates and claims that the free policy was only a subsidy because many centres were levying new charges on parents to cover costs. Bewildered children at Thorndon's City Kids childcare centre were bombarded at the launch by a throng of media, officials and politicians, including Prime Minister Helen Clark, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen and Education Minister Steve Maharey.
Some yawned, while others giggled and crawled around reporters' legs. After reading her sometimes uninterested audience a book called Kapai's Capital Visit, Miss Clark said the scheme would save many parents thousands of dollars a year. Sixty-two per cent of the 2750 eligible centres had signed up and 70 per cent of the 92,600 eligible three and four-year-olds were enrolled on the scheme's first day.
The policy would cost taxpayers $313 million in its first year. "From July 1, 70 per cent of our children are covered and we think that's a fantastic start," Miss Clark said. "We have always said we're very optimistic about the level of take-up and this absolutely vindicates that optimism.
" The policy recognised the importance of preschool education and would help dismantle barriers for low income families, boosting participation rates. Miss Clark hit out at opponents who had tried to undermine the policy, saying they would be disappointed at the good rates. Ross Bond, whose four-year-old daughter attends the centre, stood to save $55 a week and twice that once his son turned three in November.
This was despite a fee increase to cover the centre's costs. He welcomed moves to reduce the "necessary evil" of childcare costs. "There is a reduction, which we're very grateful for.
Anything that is helping out towards this has got to be a major." National leader John Key said the figures were bad news for tens of thousands of children who were shut out of the scheme. It amounted to a broken election promise by the Government.
"Rather than crowing about the take-up rates, Helen Clark should be apologising for yet another bungled election pledge." New Zealand Educational Institute president Irene Cooper said lower take-up rates in Auckland showed profit-driven centres had a hold on the market. More community-owned centres were needed to give parents more choice.
PRIME READER: Teacher Haley Turkington and Ryan Healy, 3, had their morning story read by Prime Minister Helen Clark at City Kids childcare centre, Wellington, at the start of the '20-hours free' early childhood education scheme.
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