Early childhood education

1. Increase Pasifika children’s access to, and participation, in early childhoodeducation (ECE) that prepares them well for school.
2. Increase the quality of ECE experiences for Pasifika children.
3. Increase effective engagement of Pasifika parents in early learning and in ECE services in ways that are effective for children’s learning and ways that are responsive to parents’ and children’s cultures and languages.

• The number of Pasifika children aged two to four enrolled in licensed early childhood education by 2012 will be 2,000 higher than at 1 July 2008 (9,103).
• Increase the number of Pasifika children accessing early intervention services, by 10 percent by 2012 (currently 739 children) and ensure interventions happen on average three months earlier in their lives.
• Increase by 400 the number of Pasifika ECE teachers that are registered by 2012 (from 808 in 2008 to 1208 in 2012) to achieve the same level of registration as non-Pasifika ECE teachers (estimated to be 73 percent). 
• Improve quality in Pasifika ECE services through regular review and reporting by the Education Review Office (ERO).

• complete the Participation Project in Counties- Manukau by 2010 and move the programme to another area with a high Pasifika population by 2011; 
• use Government funded professional development to strengthen Pasifika ECE provision;
• work with Pasifika communities in the regions to develop and broadcast key ECE messages; 
• consider alternative ways of providing ECE to Pasifika children;
• increase teaching and learning support for Pasifika Early Childhood Playgroups;
• ensure ECE links are built into literacy and numeracy professional development contracts for schools;
• implement strategies to recruit and train more Pasifika teachers through TeachNZ;
• focus other teacher supply initiatives on training and the retention of Pasifika teachers;
• work with other agencies to trial and develop more integrated services for families in communities with high Pasifika populations;
• trial parent mentoring playgroups in Pasifika communities with an emphasis on improving literacy and numeracy skills;
• promote assistance for Pasifika families who are least active in ECE and schools to encourage better engagement and transition from ECE to schools.

And:

• the Education Review Office will promote its reports on ECE quality to Pasifika communities; and
• the Ministry of Health will work to ensure B4 School Checks effectively involve Pasifika families