NZ 'fails key standards' on early learning

New Zealand does an "average" job of providing for early childhood development because it fails some of the key minimum standards set for wealthy countries, according to a new international report.

Childcare experts say the 10th annual State of the World's Mothers report highlights the need for additional targeted funding that could help lift New Zealand from an "average" towards a "best in class" rating which only Scandinavian countries and France achieved this year.

The report, compiled by Save the Children, focuses on the link between investing in early learning opportunities for young children and school success.

Sweden leads the wealthiest nations in its commitment to early childhood development, meeting all 10 key "suggested minimum standards", New Zealand meets six, while Australia meets only two, and Canada and Ireland meet just one.

New Zealand failed to meet four of the report's suggested minimum standards. These were: allowing parental leave of one year with 50 per cent of salary; allocating 1 per cent of GDP to be spent on early childhood services; having a child poverty rate of less than 10 per cent; and ensuring near universal outreach of essential child health services.

Philip Abraham, acting executive director of Save the Children New Zealand, said comprehensive early childhood development programmes, starting in infancy, could put millions of children worldwide on the path to school success.

"The links between good health and nutrition and healthy brain development have been well documented. However, today in New Zealand nearly one-quarter of our children live in poverty," he said.

"Also, New Zealand's income inequality remains higher than the average OECD."

Dr Sarah Farquhar, chief executive of the Early Childhood Council, said she was not surprised that New Zealand did not meet the report's recommended GDP expenditure.

"As a society we do need to be spending more on children, and that does come out with the high number of child-abuse cases we have - New Zealand is falling short often on services and protection of our youngest children."

Dr Farquhar constantly receives reports from parents who are unable to enrol their child in a centre, and from centres facing closure because of a lack of qualified staff.

"I would expect we could continue [to slip down] unless we develop a more integrated approach to policy development that sees early childhood centres as providing that important support for parents and funding to ensure that parents, whatever the age of their child, can access it," she said.

Tanya Harvey, executive secretary of the Early Childhood Leadership Group, which represents 40 per cent of children in kindergartens, said little was being done to target the children who were most at risk of missing out on early childhood education.

TEST MARKS

Standards we fail to meet:
* Parental leave of 1 year at 50 per cent of salary.
* 1 per cent of GDP spent on early childhood.
* Child poverty rate of less than 10 per cent.
* Near-universal outreach of essential child health services.

Boxes we tick:
* A national plan with priority for disadvantaged children.
* Subsidised and regulated childcare services for 25 per cent of under 3s.
* Subsidised and accredited early education services for 80 per cent of 4-year-olds.
* 80 per cent of all childcare staff trained.
* 50 per cent of early education staff tertiary educated or with relevant qualifications.
* Minimum staff-to-children ratio of 1:15 in preschool.