David Seymour reveals Regulation Ministry’s first target

Wednesday, 5 June 2024

The new Ministry for Regulation is starting its first review on the rules around early childhood education.

Regulation Minister David Seymour announced the review from a Wellington private preschool, saying issues with “affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led to urgent calls from the sector to conduct a review”.

Seymour said they had “heard reports from centres around the country where teachers and carers are spending their time dealing with regulators and writing reports and plans on absurd things like the risk of apples falling from a tree in the playground, the first aid certificate being hung on the right-hand side of the doorframe instead of above it, or a train driver honking the train horn at the children as the train drives past every morning to the delight of the children but the chagrin of noise pollution police”.

The ministry would consult with teachers, owners, parents, government agencies, child advocacy groups, unions and research groups.

“The review will include, but is not limited to, education, health, safety, child protection, food safety, buildings and workplaces as they relate to the early childhood education sector.

“It will not include funding, which will be separately reviewed,” he said.

Any proposed changes will go in front of Cabinet for final sign off in six months.

Seymour wanted people spending more time on what they were good at doing and less time on “unnecessary compliance“.