Economics Trumps Child Rights: How the 2024 ECE Regulations Review Frames Teacher Qualification Issues and Why We Should Be Worried

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Economics Trumps Child Rights: How the 2024 ECE Regulations Review Frames Teacher Qualification Issues and Why We Should Be Worried
Language: English
Authors: Alexandra C. Gunn
Source: Early Childhood Folio. 2025 29(2):2-7.
Availability: New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Level 10, 178-182 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand 6011. Tel: +64 4 802 1445; e-mail: subscriptions@nzcer.org.nz; Web site: https://www.nzcer.org.nz/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 6
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Early Childhood Education, Labor Force, Teacher Supply and Demand, Childrens Rights, Teacher Qualifications, Early Childhood Teachers, Teacher Persistence, Economic Factors, Educational Quality, Educational Policy, Public Agencies
Geographic Terms: New Zealand
DOI: 10.18296/ecf.1156
ISSN: 0112-0530
2253-2137
Abstract: Of great concern within the Ministry for Regulation's 2024 Regulatory Review of Early Childhood Education report was recommendation number 10 that aims for greater flexibility in qualifications within the early childhood education (ECE) workforce. The recommendation directly undermines current policy objectives within the Early Learning Action Plan (2019-2029) which aspire towards a goal of 100% qualified teachers. Taking a strongly market-based approach to ECE and privileging the interests of business owners and market performance over the experiences of children, families, and teachers, a series of new market-related problems associated with qualifications have been produced within the review and used to frame the recommended change. This paper explores how the scene has been set for this call for qualification diversification and argues that the direction of travel is wrong-headed if ECE is to thrive, as the report claims it should.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1489135
Database: ERIC
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