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The Assistant Māori Commissioner for Children is calling for Government to address cost barriers preventing whānau from choosing kōhanga reo and other forms of early childhood education.
UNICEF has released a report on childcare ranking New Zealand at 33rd out of 41 wealthy countries.
While this country ranked near the top for quality due to high rates of teacher qualifications and low teacher to child ratios, high costs and low levels of paid parental leave dragged it down the standings.
Glenis Philip Barbara says despite the enormous life- long benefits kōhanga reo can give mokopuna through access to te reo and te ao Māori, the cost is still a barrier to many whānau.
She says reducing the cost of ECE could both reduce child and whānau poverty and ensure fair and equitable access to high quality education.
Commissioner Andrew Becroft says evidence shows that children from lower income families have the most to gain from high quality ECE which has life-long positive impacts.
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