The Big Push

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, July 5th, 2011 - 9 comments
Categories: education - Tags: , , ,

There’s a march in Auckland on Saturday, to protest the government’s massive cuts to the quality and funding of Early Childhood Education sector, and proposal to end 20 hours free for 3-4 year-olds.

This protest was meant to be in February, but then the Christchurch Earthquake happened.  The issue’s still vital to the future of our country, so it’s now been re-scheduled by the NZEI.

I’ll be there pushing my buggy up Queen St – come and join us so that National can see how important this is.  If the evidence of the PM’s own Science Advisor doesn’t convince them, maybe a large march will make sure they keep education open to all.

9 comments on “The Big Push ”

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  1. Tangled up in blue 1
    5 July 2011 at 11:40 am

    and proposal to end 20 hours free for 3-4 year-olds.

    Have you got a link to this proposal? If the Nats done this they would piss off A LOT of people, not just those on the left too.

    • Ben Clark 1.1
      5 July 2011 at 12:08 pm

      The proposal to limit 20 hours free to the poor is in the ECE taskforce report. Which I’ve just discovered is currently up for public consultation.

      Fill in the consultation questionnaire people!

      (NZEI have their response up here.)

    • lprent 1.2
      5 July 2011 at 12:09 pm

      Have a look in the ECE taskforce report (ummm summarized here in some crappy bullet points slideshow).

      http://www.ecetogether.org.nz/page/ece-taskforce


      For the composition of the task force and more links
      http://www.childforum.com/political/375-ece-taskforce-2011-commentary-analysis-amazing-children.html

      If you want to wade the report 

      http://www.taskforce.ece.govt.nz/

      But essentially  they want to remove the universal 20 hours and replace it with some unspecified targeted spending based presumably on parental income. It just sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare.

      But hey, this is Anne Tolley – frigging anything could happen. She isn’t known for making rational decisions or for listening to advice.

    • bbfloyd 1.3
      5 July 2011 at 12:20 pm

      sigh,,, got a link? got a link? gota link?gotalink?gotalink? is that the only thing you can still remember to say? why don’t you put that thing in your hand down and actually read a newspaper properly for once. the post is about what is ACTUALLY HAPPENING!

      do you honestly think that thousands of people would be prepared to march against something that hasn’t been proposed?

      do you really think these people would protest this strongly simply because a few people made allegations without any proof to back it up?

      do you think that those on the right (these are usually the ones with enough money to look after themselves without any subsidy) really give a shit about those on lower rungs of the socio/economic ladder?

      earth to tangled one,, the right are standing on the sidelines cheering the govt on, knowing that the darling nats are tipping the playing field even further toward their side..

      finally,, have you got a link that shows right wingers getting upset over this issue?

      • Tangled up in blue 1.3.1
        5 July 2011 at 12:39 pm

        Settle down precious.

        There’s a big difference between a task-force report and the government actually saying that they are going to do something. I’m not going to criticize the Govt. for something they haven’t done.

        And btw obviously not everyone voting National are rich. Look at the polls. It seems some are slow to learn and something like removing the 20-free hours would teach them pretty quickly what National is all about.

  2. vidiot 2
    5 July 2011 at 1:07 pm

    20 hours free ? It was up to 20 hours subsidised, it was never 100% free.

    iirc at our local kindy, 4 x 3 hours sessions a week (12 hours) carried an additional cost of $36 a week.

    • Zorr 2.1
      5 July 2011 at 1:49 pm

      If you don’t know what you’re talking about vidiot you should generally be quiet. I have worked in the implementation of the 20 Hours “Free” ECE. The issue that people suffered through as in your example was due to a loophole present that allowed centres to charge administration fees.

      The childcare was free. The administration of it wasn’t.

  3. Robert Atack 3
    6 July 2011 at 7:13 am

    hmmmm Ben … another politician who professes to be pro family, stop the crocodile tears mate, as you know peak oil heralds the end of most luxuries … such as looking after children … we have heard it all before

    «The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and cooperation. It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life.»

    – Adolph Hitler, My New World Order
    Proclamation to the German Nation at Berlin, February 1, 1933