Politics Live Blog - April 15-21

The Government has announced changes to the early childhood education sector, which it says will make it easier for new centres to be set up.

It will make legislative changes allowing providers to decide where early learning services should be, and will revoke the new person responsible requirements slated to start from August 2024.

Current network approval provisions gave the Government the right to decide where services should be, when it should lie with parents and providers, Associate Minister of Education David Seymour said.

"They also make setting up new services complex and inhibit competition."

The Government also intends to remove a higher level of certification requirement so persons responsible will not need to obtain a Full Practising Certificate (category one or two).

"The requirement had the potential to result in increased fees, reduced operating hours, or even closure for some services, due to a lack of fully certificated teachers," Seymour said.

Its impacts would most be felt by services in rural and lower socio-economic areas that "suffer due to staffing and funding challenges", he said.

While the legislation is repealed, Seymour is proposing to speed up granting approvals for new services by revoking the national statement on the network of licensed early childhood services. Consultation on this proposal is now open and runs until 5 May 2024.

Seymour, who is also the Minister for Regulation, has pointed to a review of all regulations governing the early childhood education sector.

"We need to strip unnecessary compliance and cost so our early learning professionals can be focussed on education and care of children. After all, costs cannot all be absorbed - they eventually land on the parents."

- RNZ