• Participation in early childhood education
• School leavers with higher qualifications
• Participation in tertiary education
• Educational attainment of the adult population

Participation in early childhood education

Relevance

Evidence from New Zealand and international research shows that the early childhood years are vital to a child’s development and their future ability to learn.⁴⁸ Quality early childhood programmes prepare young children socially, physically and academically for entry into primary education and can help narrow the achievement gap between children from low-income families and those from more advantaged families.

Current level and trends

As at 1 July 2007, the "apparent" early childhood education participation rate was 97 percent for 3 year olds and 102 percent for 4 year olds, confirming that some children attend more than one service. These figures represent a substantial increase from 43 percent and 73 percent respectively in 1986. Much of the growth in participation in early childhood education occurred in the five years between 1986 and 1991. Between 1997 and 2007, the participation of 3 year olds increased by 11.3 percentage points and by 5.7 percentage points for 4 year olds.

Figure K1.1 Early childhood education apparent participation rate, 3 and 4 year olds, 1986–2007

Source: Ministry of Education; Ministry of Social Development
Note: These figures overestimate the true participation rate. Rates in excess of 100 percent are possible because children can be enrolled in more than one service

Sex differences

Participation in early childhood education does not appear to vary by sex: boys make up just over half (51 percent) of all enrolments of children aged 3 and 4 years, the same proportion as in the population.

Participation by type of service

In 2007, childcare centres (44 percent) and kindergartens (37 percent) had the largest number of enrolments of 3 and 4 year olds in early childhood education.

Much smaller numbers of children were enrolled in playcentres (5 percent) and kōhanga reo (4 percent).

Prior participation by Year 1 students

The prior participation rate is an alternative measure that avoids double counting.

The percentage of new school entrants who have previously participated in early childhood education services has increased over the last seven years, from 91 percent in July 2000 to 95 percent in July 2007.

Ethnic differences

New Zealand European children are the most likely to have attended an early childhood education service before entering primary school: 98 percent compared with 96 percent of Asian, 91 percent of Māori and 84 percent of Pacific Year 1 students in 2007. From 2000 to 2004, the prior participation rate for both Māori and Pacific new entrants increased faster than the rate for New Zealand European new entrants, narrowing the difference between these groups. However, since 2004, the growth in the rate for Māori has slowed, and there has been a slight decline in the proportion of Pacific new entrants who had attended early childhood education services before starting school.

Table K1.1 Early childhood education attendance (%) by Year 1 students, by ethnic group, as at 1 July 2000–2007

Source: Ministry of Education
Note: These figures exclude cases for which attendance was unknown

Socio-economic differences

Year 1 children in low decile schools (those that draw their students from communities with the highest degree of socio-economic disadvantage) are much less likely to have attended an early childhood education service than children in high decile schools. In 2007, only 83 percent of new entrants in decile 1 schools had previously attended early childhood education services, compared with 97 percent in decile 6 schools and 99 percent in decile 10 schools.

Regional differences

In 2007, prior participation in early childhood education was highest in the Canterbury region (99 percent) and Otago (98 percent), and lowest in Northland (91 percent), Auckland and Gisborne (both 92 percent).