Parents on remote Stewart Island say the bureaucrats are not making their quest for an early childhood teacher any easier.

The nation's largest early childcare provider is being investigated for the way it claims more than $30 million of taxpayer money.

A man who allegedly held a gun and knife at staff of a church close to a daycare centre had previously sent two angry emails to the church.

Many 5-year-olds are starting school unable to count or complete the alphabet, despite years of pre-school education, principals say.