- Hon David Seymour
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Ministry of Education are now consulting on changing, merging, or removing approximately three-quarters of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) licensing criteria.
"Earlier this year the ECE Sector Review instigated 15 changes to modernise and simplify regulations," Mr Seymour says.
"The changes to the ECE regulations show the power of a sector review. The Ministry for Regulation went in and listened to the people who actually run, work at, and use early childhood education. They found people encircled by multiple regulators enforcing out of date rules, and proposed solutions.
"The biggest complaint arises from the calcified, high stakes licencing criteria - 98 of them - that can each have a centre shut down with little to no notice. We are consulting on changing, merging, or removing approximately three-quarters of them.
"Some of the proposals being consulted on include more digital information distribution, more clarity, and Removing duplication of regulations that are covered by other authorities.
New licensing criteria will be gazetted by the end of September. Consultation on changes to these is open until 24 July. You can have your say here: Have your say - Ministry of Education.
"By the end of next year ECE providers will be governed by a regulatory system which ensures regulations are focused on what matters - providing safe, high-quality care and education as the changes are rolled out over the coming year," Mr Seymour says.
"ECE providers will no longer be burdened with 98 separate licensing criteria, many of which were arbitrary or outdated.
"By mid next year, graduated enforcement tools will be used to respond to breaches of the remaining licensing criteria. The only enforcement tools previously available were too blunt a tool for managing minor breaches and allowing early intervention. There will no longer be high-stakes open-or-shut rules that create anxiety and strained relationships for regulators and centre operators alike."
Graduated enforcement will give the regulator a range of enforcement measures. They will be able to respond proportionately to breaches, changing the sector's culture from a punitive approach to promoting quality.
"The changes to the licensing criteria represents a major shakeup of the sector's outdated system. Consultation will make the new licensing criteria great for children, parents and ECE service providers," Mr Seymour says.
"There is huge demand for ECEs from families across New Zealand, however numbers show supply isn't keeping up. That is why we are committed to making changes which will allow the industry to expand and provide more high-quality services for families and their children.
"In the meantime, recent amendments to the pay parity opt-in scheme aim to provide some relief to ECE services.
"In a high-cost economy, regulation isn't neutral. It's a tax on growth. Every completed review makes it easier to do business, access services, and innovate in New Zealand. The ECE review is the first of many examples of what smarter regulation looks like in action."
