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United Future New Zealand's Caring for Kids policy focuses on the first ten years of a child's life. The first ten years, more than any others, determine the opportunities for the child as he or she moves into adulthood. Success in these years generally means success in later years. Failure in these years may lead to failure in later years, from which not only the child, but all of society suffers.
Caring for Kids Means Excellent Pre-School Education
Parenting programmes and other support services provided in the first years of a child's life need to be linked into the early childhood school system.
UNITED FUTURE WILL
- Fund 15 hours per week of pre-school education and increase the availability of the childcare subsidy to a minimum of 15 hours per week for those who are eligible.
- Fund quality early childhood education to ensure that no child is denied access due to cost. Kindergarten funding will be increased and the Correspondence School early childhood provision extended.
- Ensure the quality of early childhood centres through a system of licences, charters and training.
- Ensure that early childhood education teachers are trained to recognise children with behavioural disorders or potential difficulties.
- Fund support workers in early childhood centres according to need is identified and where Individual Education Programmes (IEP) have been approved.
- Provide for further development of Te Kohanga Reo and Pacific Island language nests in recognition of their contribution to the cultural enrichment of a child's education.
Caring for Kids provides the Best Start at School
Parents want the best education for their children. They want good information about their children's progress. They want teachers who are knowledgeable about the curriculum, assessment and evaluation of learning, and who are enthusiastic, skilled, accessible, caring and motivated.
UNITED FUTURE WILL
- Guarantee right of access to the neighbourhood school.
- Provide a fully funded school milk and apple-a-day programme, to cater for some of the nutritional needs of our children.
- Ensure adequate resources are available for reading recovery and remedial mathematics programmes; and provide visiting teachers, and speech language therapists to meet the needs of children experiencing learning or behavioural difficulties.
- Resource English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses so that migrants can participate fully in education as soon as possible after their arrival.
- Expand kura kaupapa Maori, immersion programmes and the initiation of children into Maori culture, including Te Reo Maori, where requested by parents.
- Establish a centralized database to track student enrolment and attendance.
- Ensure that class sizes do not exceed 20 in junior classes and 28 in all others.
- Support the right of each school Board of Trustees to accept or reject bulk funding.
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