Bill English striking a blow against children in New Zealand.
Well it’s the 20th of May 2010 and the National government has released their 2010 Budget. As an Early Childhood Educator there was one major change to the budget that has really stood out to me. The decision to remove the incentive funding for Early Childhood Centres to have 100% qualified teachers.
As it stands now Centres get different amounts funding from the government depending on the percentage of (ratio-ed) staff they have that are qualified and registered Early Childhood Education teachers. So if you have 80% qualified teachers you get so much funding, if you have 100% then you get more. That extra money goes to classroom materials and staff wages, as you can imagine a qualified teacher gets paid more than an unqualified one.
Now the new 2010 budget changes this by removing the 100% incentive. Therefore to get the new maximum funding (equivalent to the old 80% incentive) a centre is only required to have 80% qualified teachers. Now, just think about this for a minute. This is some scary shit. Let me break it down for you.
Early Childhood Centres are businesses just like any other. They need to watch their bottom line. They need to make a profit, some are under more pressure than others (you know the ones… the big name ones on every corner who have stockholders). In order for a centre that currently employs 100% qualified teachers to stay at the same level of profit they do now under the new budget they have two options.
One, fire 20% of their qualified staff and hire people with no experience who will work for minimum wage. This of course results in a weaker education system for your young children. With no incentive for uneducated staff to study. In fact incentive for them not to study as it might just lead to their unemployment.
Two, increase the cost of sending a child to their centre. Labour’s education spokesman, Trevor Mallard, said the $100 million shortfall in ECE funding amounted to about $25 a week per parent. That’s a lot, more than your probably going to be getting in tax cuts!
This is where it starts to get really scary. Once all the Centres go down one of these two paths that leaves parents with a choice, a choice many of them have no real say in. Send your child to an expensive Centre where the teachers are all qualified and know how to professionally deal with your child’s needs during their most important and influential learning period, 0 to 5 years old. Or send them to a cheaper Centre where 80% qualified teachers is enough and hope your kid doesn’t fall through the cracks somewhere along the line.
Of course parents and whānau that live in lower socio-economic areas aren’t really going to have a choice are they? Which leads to yet another way to increase the gap between the haves and the have-nots. That’s right National, make sure that even if your under 5 years old, if you don’t have the money you don’t deserve the same level of education as people who do.
Excellent analysis Ki. National is all about inequality. Also, notice on the news last night, the analysis of the amount of the money the tax cuts were going to save you stopped when they got down to $40,000 salary (there were no examples of how it effected those who earned less than this – just a throw-away comment that those on the benefit and pension would have an increase to equal the 2.5% increase in GST). As the price of oil goes up and the world financial troubles continue, this budget will help NZ stay in the recession as a large majority of people will become poorer.
Currently my centre has a No Gun policy. They don’t allow toy guns and we are meant to tell the kids that guns are not allowed at pre-school if we see them pretending they have one.
This in my mind is stupid.
First of all, trust me when I say that I’m no gun activist. In fact, I’m completely against guns being used against human beings. But that being said I sure as hell played with water pistols when I was a child and I even had a BB Gun when I was in high school. I have fond memories of my friends all going down to the local primary school with our BB Guns and glasses and having wars late into the night. I still enjoy the odd paintball game now a days. This didn’t make me into a crazed killer. This was just a part of my boyhood.
Second, aren’t we meant to be working with the children’s interests? The kids at my centre are very interested in guns. Wouldn’t it be awesome to do a project on guns. Learn about the different types of guns. Learn what guns are used for? Learn about how to safely use guns. Learn about gun licenses? Make some gun licenses? Teach them what to do if they ever find a real gun? To me this sounds like a great idea, but I’ve had some pretty horrible “great” ideas in my life time. But then again what’s the alternative? Make guns, which are seen by kids everyday in their cartoons and stories, a taboo subject. Just pretend they don’t exist?
What’s your thoughts on toy guns at centres? Would you allow them at your child’s centre? If so, why and what rules would you expect to come with them? Would you forbid them? If so, why and how would you stop a child from pretending a stick is a gun?
Well, Ki, I believe your blog is very significant and you have valid thought and opinions. I must say, as an educator for more than ten years, I have always worked at child care centers where there is a no guns policy. No weapons period. That meant even if they made swords. The thing is is that as early educators, we have to think of the generalization of our children. What separates them from learning what is right from wrong at school and at home. We never know what is being taught at home about guns in general. Some parents have no problem with it and others may be totally against it. We don’t want to offend the parents that are totally against weapons. And we also want to let the parents know that they are the primary teacher of their children in that aspect. Kind of like religion as well. Which is why a lot of day care centers either don’t celebrate any holidays or celebrate them all.
But what I want to focus on is the point you made about working with the children’s interests. And you are so absolutely correct!!! This is something that educators tend to loose track of when it comes to sensitive issues like weapons. Of course if all the children were interested in dinosaurs, educators will go all out to create a extensive theme on dinosaurs and get extravagant… but not with weapons like guns. I could go on and on. Especially with this society and the views that it puts out there… For example, with police officers. Society tends to make it seems like police officers are bad and send a message to children that they are there to take you to jail if you’re bad, and child care centers work so hard to change their mind set from society that police officers are good and are there to protect and serve. Which is very true… and what we should think about police officers regardless of what children see and hear…
Guns and weapons are very taboo in the child care world. And educators have made it that way. There are many reasons why and why not. And we could go around in circles forever. I would say, that if it’s the child’s interest, especially if the curriculum you are using is child-centered, and it’s ok by the parents, if I were a director of a center, I would allow a thematic unit on guns.
I appreciate your feedback and will keep it in mind as I continue in my career in ECE. Thank you!
2jim kassiones said at 11:30 am on March 20th, 2010:
The kids,I believe, are interested in toy guns,not real guns. When I was in Grade 6 our class learned how to handle a rifle, how to check to see if it was loaded and while at a rifle range how to shoot a rifle. We were sufficiently mature enough to learn these lessons. I believe it was wise because a lot of our parents had rifles at home which we had the potential to come into contact with.
I’m still glad I learned to safely handle a rifle. I don’t know if you could properly teach a child how to safely check that a rifle is unloaded and safe to handle without using a real one for the instruction.
I agree about following children’s interests.
As a young boy I played war games, cowboys and indians, and more. We fashioned up guns out of anything we could find. My father did not believe in guns but was happy as long as we never pointed our guns at anyone’s face.
My experience in a centre has shown me that a no gun policy will not stop a disposition to explore guns in dramatic play. There is science, construction, drama, exploring the concept of death, not to mention physical play involved in guns.
I have outgrown guns and have moved on to new interests. I am sure most of the young children we support will do the same
Nappies are just another part of the job description when working as an early childhood educator in New Zealand. Unless you happen to be a man that is. For some reason, being of the male persuasion leads to all sorts of awkward questions during interviews when it comes to the nappy changing policies. Are you comfortable changing nappies? What’s your stance on nappies? How do you feel about changing soiled children? Of course, these questions are usually followed up with some sort of polite statement roughly translated to “We know this is a non-issue now a days, but we feel like we have to ask”.
You’re right, in this day and age it is a non-issue, but you asking is making it an issue, isn’t it? For me personally, I have no problem doing nappies and believe that it comes with the job. I would be happy if I was just expected to do it and no one batted an eye or suggested otherwise. I mean, it seems to me that the only way it’s going to really become a non-issue is if that’s how we treat it.
But instead, I feel pressured into giving the centre permission to ask the parents if it’s alright with them if all staff (including the new guy we just hired) changes nappies, soiled clothes etc. It seems like the easy way out. The company gets to cover itself.
I wonder if there will ever be a time when I start at a new centre and this isn’t brought up. Or a time when if a parent does have a problem with me changing their child’s nappies, management will tell them that I’m an employee like any other and to get over it rather than awkwardly asking me to not to change little Susie’s nappies anymore.
I am about to write a presentation about warm physical contact and hugs with infants and toddlers from a male perspective. I discovered this blog by searching for an image that may or may not disturb a proportion of our society, that is a man caring for a baby.
You are correct, nappy changing is just another part of the job that males are very capable of doing (smells and all). I believe that the person who should judge whether you cut the mustard with nappy changing is the young child who is very comfortable with the scenario. I have had professional experience with nappy changing, but for the reasons that have been mentioned, I intend to work with kindergarten aged children. I appreciate the honest and reflective blog post.
Last Friday, was my last day at Lollipops Educare. I left not really for greener pastures, but for different pastures.
As some of you will know I really want to open my own preschool one day. In order to do that I need to learn how to run one. That’s one of the opportunities my new job is offering me. Plus my new centre is a smaller with only 25 children a day instead of up to 75 at Lollipops. I like the smaller more homely feel. At times Lollipops seemed way to much like a business. Don’t get me wrong a preschool is a business and needs to be run like one if you want to keep it open, but that doesn’t mean that it needs to feel or even look like it to the teachers, parents and children.
Today, I started my new job at Pipi’s Preschool. I actually worked at Pipi’s for 3 weeks earlier in the year while doing a teaching practice for University. I enjoyed it so much I decided to move. That being said Pipi’s also needs a lot of work. The staff are great but things aren’t running the best in my eyes.
Of course, things can change and my views of what is optimal will change as well. I’m just looking forward to learning a lot and pushing myself into more of a leadership role at my new centre.
Almost everyday I see a teacher or parent get angry or frustrated at a child because ‘they don’t listen’. Most of the time it’s not the children who aren’t listening, it’s the adults.
Too often adults get frustrated when they ask a child ‘Can you put away your toys please?’ and the child answers ‘No’. Then the child gets frustrated when they get in trouble for not listening. They did listen and they answered the question, you just didn’t like the answer.
Adults seemed to forget the difference between a question/request and an order/command. If the child doesn’t have a choice then don’t offer them one.
Using the above example, it would be much better to say ‘Jimmy, it’s time to put your toys away now, thank you.’ Notice how it is directed at the child (using their name), firm and to the point yet still polite. Make sure to use thank you instead of please at the end. Please infers a request, while thank you gives praise for an action that is going to be done.
If you’re still having trouble with the child, try giving extra praise right after the order. For example ‘Sara, it’s time to go to bed now thank you. You’ve been such a good listener today I’m so proud of you. I think you deserve a special story tonight!’ The more praise you give them before they follow out the order the more pressure they feel to complete that order to deserve the praise they have been given.
I recently wrote about the importance of rewarding participation over knowledge within a classroom. I discussed how by doing this it helps everyone in the class learn more.
Today, I was thinking more about why we are so afraid of making mistakes or being seen doing the wrong thing? Society today puts far too much importance on being right, on not making mistakes. A mistake can cost you a job. A mistake can lead to disgrace or humility. A mistake can imply you are stupid!
But in reality how does one be an innovator or learn by ones self without making mistakes? Far too often I have children come up to me in class and ask me to do something for them. Can you draw me a picture of a cat? Can you build me a tower out of blocks? This scares the shit out of me! Why? Because our teaching is killing their creativity! They have already learnt that mistakes are bad and that things that look different are bad within our society. They want their picture of a cat to look like what society tells them it should look like. They’ve already decided what they aren’t. They’ve already decided what they can’t do. Or is it us as teachers and us as a society who has decided that for them?
This is exactly the opposite of what we as teachers should be striving for. I want my kids (the ones in my class) to have the whole world open in front of them. For them to have the confidence to do want ever they want to. To be true to their dreams and believe that they can accomplish anything.
Happily it seems I’m not the only one that believes this. Below is an amazing talk I stumbled across while surfing today that covers exactly how I have been feeling. It’s about 18 minutes long and well worth a watch for all parents, educators and students.
While the site was down, the pre-school where I work had a visitor. A nice clown that came to read books and sing about the importance of using your seat belt while in the car… whether you’re driving near or far. Anywho, as you’ve probably already noticed from the picture, this wasn’t just any clown this was Ronald McDonald! I can’t believe they let this guy in the door, talk about getting them when their young.
He did a great job of entertaining the kids and even talked to them about what they liked to eat. He said he liked apples? Make no mistakes, all these kids knew that this was the clown from McDonalds. While it sounds like he is promoting healthy eating by saying he likes apples, all he really doing is pumping the kids and parents full of propaganda that McDiddy’s is a healthy fun and family oriented restaurant. In reality no one should be eating at McD’s let alone any child! Do yourself and your children a favour and stay away from the golden arches and all their fast food friends.
1SkinBintin said at 8:34 pm on October 15th, 2009:
Wow! That’s terrible. Not only is McDonald’s an unhealthy eating option, it’s just garbage full stop. McDonald’s cardboard ‘food’ soaked in oil can’t touch the food that can be prepared at home, for considerably less.
I’m shocked that McDonald’s are still using their Buckle Up campaign as a cheap ploy to get into school’s to push their disgusting trade.
This sort of thing should be banned at a government level. And while they are at it they should outlaw the child bait these places use known to us common folk as Cheap Movie Tie-in Promotional ‘Toys’.
I hope you took it upon yourselves to show the young ones a good example and kick him out the door!
(Speaking of the Young One’s, I suddenly have a desire to dig out my Young One’s DVD’s!)
Nice way to promo your site Didn’t realise you were up n running again… Actually wanted to reply to this anyway. You’re right, it’s pretty filthy and quite blatant promotion. I saw an interview with an ex-Ronald McDonald impersonator once and it was disgusting… they had to make the children chant “McDonalds, McDonalds” and all sorts.
Didn’t realise you were up n running again… Actually wanted to reply to this anyway. You’re right, it’s pretty filthy and quite blatant promotion. I saw an interview with an ex-Ronald McDonald impersonator once and it was disgusting… they had to make the children chant “McDonalds, McDonalds” and all sorts.
Notice how this is posted at 1 am. This has me so upset I couldn’t sleep until I vented by writing it down.
Excellent analysis Ki. National is all about inequality. Also, notice on the news last night, the analysis of the amount of the money the tax cuts were going to save you stopped when they got down to $40,000 salary (there were no examples of how it effected those who earned less than this – just a throw-away comment that those on the benefit and pension would have an increase to equal the 2.5% increase in GST). As the price of oil goes up and the world financial troubles continue, this budget will help NZ stay in the recession as a large majority of people will become poorer.