Teaching crisis in child centres

By HELEN TUNNAH

Official papers warn that hundreds of early childhood centres risk being shut, possibly affecting 13,000 children, because of a severe shortage of qualified teachers.

Of the 400 centres at risk of closure, 220 are in Auckland and 39 in the Bay of Plenty, say the Ministry of Education papers released yesterday under the Official Information Act.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said last night that he did not expect any centres to be closed even though they are struggling to meet the new qualifications regime.

He has hinted closures may be avoided by easing a provisional licensing rule which would give centres a bit more breathing space to hire qualified staff in the face of next year's deadline.

The pressure has come from a policy change announced four years ago which means that from next year a person in charge of an early childhood centre must hold a teaching diploma.

Such a qualified person has to be in the centre at all times. The ministry estimates full-time centres may need two qualified people on staff, but its papers show some will need twice that.

Centres without qualified people risk having their licences revoked.

Mr Mallard said measures put in place by the ministry, including a "recruitment broker" in Auckland, should help all centres to have the qualified staff they need by next year. Ministry staff would work with Auckland centres to help them find staff.

He said the Government was committed to quality education, and research showed teacher qualifications were a key part of that.

The ministry papers estimate that between 250 and 400 centres are "at risk of closure" because they cannot meet the qualification requirements, with 142 at "high risk" of closure.

The problem is acute in Auckland. The ministry says it will be difficult to manage in the city because of the large numbers of teachers needed, and the competition for staff.

The figures follow Education Review Office estimates last week that 23.5 per cent of centres are struggling to meet the new requirements.

The papers say the ministry does not think the number of people likely to graduate with the appropriate qualification this year can "significantly reduce the existing number of services identified to be at risk". It takes one to three years to complete the diploma.

The papers do not identify any specific centres as likely to close. A total of 13,672 child places are affected across the 400 centres. There are also concerns there may not be the capacity to absorb children from centres closed.

Most of the Auckland centres affected are Pacific Island services.

Mr Mallard said listed measures in place to avoid problems included provisional licensing. That would allow a centre having problems recruiting staff to receive a provisional licence to continue for a few extra months while it hunts staff. Those licences may now be extended for a year.