John MacDonald: What do you think about most at pre-school drop-off?

If you’ve ever done a pre-school drop-off, what’s been the main thing going through your mind? Aside from ‘am I going to get to work on time?’.  

Have you been more concerned about the safety and wellbeing of your child, grandchild, niece or nephew? Or have you been more concerned about the qualifications of the people working there?  

For me, qualifications don’t even enter the equation.  

I’ve had three kids go through pre-school or early childhood education and I can honestly say that I was never concerned about the pieces of paper that the teachers might have had sitting in a drawer or up on the wall at home. I was never bothered about that.  

Which is why I am liking what the Government’s doing to loosen the qualification requirements and get rid of some of the complexities that the people who run these centres have to deal with.  

At the moment, there 98 different criteria for early childhood centres – which include things like keeping the temperature inside at 18 degrees.  

But I think one of the best changes the Government plans to make is to give the people who run these places more flexibility when it comes to hiring staff in terms of what qualifications they need to have.  

Generally, I think we have become over-obsessed with qualifications. I think qualifications are used to weed people out as a starting point.  

And the real downside of our over-obsession with qualifications is that, sometimes, the best person for the job —or the best people for the jobs— don’t get a look-in.

Example from the early childhood sector: someone who might have a truckload of practical experience or might have been out of the workforce for a few years having a family, do you think they could be the perfect person to have at an early childhood centre?

Of course. That kind of person would be a great catch. Someone who genuinely loves kids, who knows about all the practicalities of looking after little kids day-in, day-out.

Give me someone like that any day over someone who has done all the assignments and passed all the exams but doesn't necessarily have the temperament to deal with pre-schoolers.

And let’s not forget the anecdotal reports we keep hearing about kids turning up at pre-schools who need a lot more attention than kids might have needed a few years ago. Especially in relation to their behaviour.

Qualifications don’t prepare you for that.

And if these qualified early childhood teachers are so necessary, why is it that kids are turning 5 unprepared for school?

About three weeks ago, Dr Stuart Deerness —who’s a senior education lecturer at AUT— wrote a piece in the NZ Herald where he said that the blame for kids not being ready for school can’t all be put on parents.

He’s right. And I’m going to draw a link, you might say it's more like a long bow, but I’m going to draw a link between this obsession that early childhood teachers be formally qualified and the fact that some of the kids they’re responsible for not being school-ready.

Because for me, you don't need a qualification to have empathy. You don't need a qualification to solve problems. You don't need a qualification to deal with over-anxious parents.

And you don’t need a qualification to keep a little person safe and happy, and to get them ready to take on the world.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Kerrywood and Morning's podcast from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd be if I got a question for it. If
you've ever done a preschool drop off, what's been the
main thing going through your head aside from hell, am
I going to get to work on time? Have you
been more concerned about the safety and well being of
your child, or your grandchild, or your niece or nephew
or whoever it is more concerned about their safety and

(00:32):
well being? Or have you been more concerned about the
qualifications of the people working there. Now, before you think, oh, look,
both of those things are important, let me just say
that for me, qualifications don't even enter the equation. I
almost couldn't care less about qualifications. And I've had three
kids go through preschool, or early childhood education as it's

(00:54):
officially known, and I can honestly say to you right
now that the pieces of paper that the teachers might
have had sitting in a drawer or up on the
wall at home, I was never bothered about that. In fact,
I think qualifications in early childhood education have been nothing more,
nothing more than a backside covering exercise. Maybe it harks
back to the Peter Ellis case at the christ Church

(01:15):
Civic Croasch. Who knows, but it's gone overboard and that's
why I'm liking what the government's doing, So loosen the
qualification requirements and get rid of some of the complexities
that the people who run these centers have to deal with.
Here's the Minister responsible for Regulation, David Seymour, explaining the
current situation to Mike earlier.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
The truth is, if you go and visit people in
early childhood centers as I do, they've got multiple regulators.
They've got the RO, the m the MRH, the MPI,
the local council, all trying to enforce rules without any clarity.
And what we're going to do as first of all,
we're going to actually pass some law saying this is

(01:56):
the purpose of regulating. It's child safety number one, children
education number two, parental choice number three, and then not
putting in place any more rules are necessary to achieve
those objectives. Noll Lejah.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
At the moment, there are ninety eight different criteria for
early childhood centers, which include things like keeping the temperature
inside at eighteen degrees. But I think one of the
best changes the government plans to make is to give
the people who run these places more flexibility when it
comes to hiring staff in terms of what qualifications they
need to have. Generally, and maybe this is why I

(02:31):
feel about it, will feel this way generally. I think
we have become over obsessed with qualifications. I think qualifications
are used to weed people out as a starting point.
You know, ah, here we go. Oh they don't have
that diploma. Oh there out, don't need to worry about them.
And the real downside of our over obsession with qualifications
is sometimes the best person for the job, or the

(02:53):
best people for the jobs that don't get a look in.
I'll give you an example from the early childhood sector.
Someone who might have had a or might have a
truckload of practical experience, or might have been out of
the workforce for a few years having a fan reckon.
They could be the perfect person to have at an
early childhood center. Of course, there were to be perfect.
But if they don't have that piece of paper or

(03:14):
that diploma, no chance. What about someone who has actually
worked in one of these places and earlier times before
we had the subsession with qualifications. Unless they go and
do some study, they're on the arter as well. That
kind of person. They would be a great catch. And
I know from experience as a parent who's been through

(03:35):
had three kids go through early childhood education. Sort of
person I'm talking about there is someone who genuinely loves kids,
who knows about all the practicalities of looking after little
kids day in day out. I mean, give me someone
like that any day over, someone who's done all the assignments,
past all the exams, but doesn't necessarily have the temperament

(03:57):
to deal with preschoolers. That's the key, isn't it temperament
to deal with preschoolers. And let's not forget the anecdotal
reports we keep hearing about kids turning up at preschools
who need a lot more attention than kids might have
needed a few years ago, especially in relation to their
behavior qualifications. Don't prepare you for that. It's all about

(04:19):
all about temperament and do it the right thing in
the moment. And look, if these qualified early childhood teachers.
I'm not necessarily I'm not having a go at the teachers.
But if these qualified early childhood teachers are so necessary,
and if the qualifications are so necessary, why is it
the kids are turning up age five at school unprepared.

(04:44):
About three weeks ago, I read a piece doctor Stuart Dearness.
He's a senior education lecturer at aut He wrote a
piece in the New Zealand Herald where he said that
the blame for kids not being ready for school can't
all be put on parents. And he's right. And I'm
going to draw a link. Now you might say I'm
drawing a long bow. But I'm going to draw a

(05:04):
link between obsession that early childhood teachers be formally qualified
to the health and the fact that some of the
kids they're responsible for aren't ready for school. Because for me,
this is what it comes down to for me. For me,
you don't need a qualification to have empathy, you don't
need a qualification to solve problems. You don't need a

(05:28):
qualification to deal with over anxious parents. And you don't
need a qualification to keep a little person safe and
happy and to get them ready to take on the world.
But how do you feel about the government loosening the
listening the qualification requirements for early childhood education teachers? Will
call me and tell.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
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