Early Childhood Education Policy Analysis

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To deliver the maximum benefits of early childhood care and education, it is imperative that it is of high quality. High quality in teacher-led settings equates to teachers who are able to build trust with children and parents, and engage in quality interactions. To achieve this, however, it would need qualified teachers and require the government to invest in this (Meade et al., 2012).
As a signatory to United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the New Zealand Government is required to ensure young children have access to quality education and have a legal obligation to consider the best interests of children in its policies (Unicef, 2007). Despite convincing evidence on the impact of high quality care, at present there does not …show more content…
Not only does this policy leave the other 50% unqualified in any one service, in a mixed aged centre, it is also possible and legal that children under 2 are being cared for by teachers who are unqualified (Ministry of Education, 2015).
The overwhelming consensus across studies, and contexts, is that quality early childhood care and attuned teachers determine education for under-two-year-olds. The current early childhood education literature strongly suggests that the qualities of children’s experiences are affected by the qualifications of the staff employed. The extensive research shows that qualified teachers are more attentive and responsive for the needs and attributes of infants and toddlers, and it outlines the positive benefits of qualified teachers for children, parents and the wider society (Dalli et al., 2011).

Cultural responsiveness and cultural competence is also extremely important to quality (Carroll-Lind & Angus, 2008). 
Within the context of Aotearoa, this is especially significant for Māori and Pasifika children. Regulatory and ethical reasoning maintains that teachers are required to have some understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and te reo me ona tikanga Māori. Meade et al., (2012, p. 26) believe ‘the way to build this understanding is for all early childhood practitioners to participate in teacher …show more content…
There has been evidence of mixed age centres placing their qualified staff with those children that are over two and those less qualified with the infant and toddlers who are within a more sensitive period of their life, in which high quality care is essential (Ireland, 2006). I believe that a minor change in the licensing criteria will alleviate this problem. If it were made a licensing requirement for the infant and toddlers to be staffed by a higher number of qualified teachers, it would more likely ensure that these children were receiving high quality care, as the research points to qualified teachers as the leading indicator of
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