These earlier reports should be used for historical perspective – many of our more recent reports replace these and are more current and up to date.
Catholic early childhood services have very different histories. In some cases, religious orders set up a service as part of their mission and, over time, the purpose of the service changed. Some long-established services were set up to meet the needs of particular parish families. More recently, ethnic chaplaincies and parishes with high Pacific populations have set up services that are based on a Pacific language and culture, in a religious context. The New Zealand Association of Catholic Childcare Organisations represents all Catholic early childhood services.
Which services does this monograph refer to?
This monograph on the quality of education and care in Catholic early childhood services is based on the findings of the current ERO reports of all 16 licensed services affiliated to the New Zealand Association of Catholic Early Childcare Organisations. The reports were completed between February 2004 and April 2006.
Catholic services made up 0.4 percent of all licensed early childhood services, and 0.4 percent of all child enrolments in licensed services.
Where were these services located?
Eight of the 16 services were located in the Auckland diocese, five in the Wellington diocese and one each in the Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Christchurch dioceses.
All services were urban, and most were linked to a parish and the associated Catholic primary school. In some cases these links were strong. Where this was the case, ERO found that parish and school leaders took key roles in the governance of the service, and that reciprocal links between the service and the school helped children to feel comfortable about starting school when they turned five.
When were these services open, and who attended?
There was a wide variation in the daily opening hours and enrolment ages at Catholic early childhood services. Half the services operated sessions for older children only, while the others offered part-day or all-day education and care for children from infant to school age. One service, following its original mission, offered places for children with special needs. The smallest service was licensed to enrol up to 19 children, and the largest service could enrol up to 50.
The enrolment information for the Catholic services showed that New Zealand European/Pākehā children made up 42 percent of enrolments; Pacific children included six nationalities and made up 39 percent of enrolments; Māori children made up 10 percent; and children from 12 other ethnicities made up 9 percent of enrolments.
How were parents involved?
There are many different ownership arrangements for early childhood services, and these have implications for how parents are involved in service management and governance roles. Most Catholic early childhood services were owned by a charitable trust or an incorporated society. These services do not operate for profit, and parents may be involved in fundraising and/or governance roles.
In early childhood education, there is growing recognition of the benefit of teachers and parents working together to identify learning goals and teaching strategies for each child.
In some Catholic services, parents were involved in planning for children’s learning through sharing information, aspirations and strategies. Parents helped or led part of the programme in a small number of services, and some services sought parent feedback on aspects of policy and operations.
How frequently were services reviewed?
ERO undertakes education reviews in early childhood education services on a regular cycle. When the performance of a service gives cause for concern, ERO carries out another review, within 12 months. For Catholic early childhood education services, the proportion of supplementary reviews was slightly, but not significantly lower, than that for all early childhood services.