Participation in early childhood education- Social Report 2006

Regional Comparison

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Participation in early childhood education

Definition

The number of enrolments of children aged 3 and 4 years in early childhood centres or home-based education programmes as a proportion of all 3 and 4 year olds.
The measure includes all forms of organised and sustained centre and home-based programmes designed to foster learning and emotional and social development in children. The measure overestimates participation because children enrolled in more than one early childhood centre will be double-counted. Information from an alternative measure which avoids double counting – the proportion of Year One students who participated in early childhood education – is also included.

Relevance

Evidence from New Zealand and international research shows that the early childhood years are vital to a child’s development and future ability to learn.³⁹Quality 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 2005, the "apparent" early childhood education participation rate was 98 percent for 3 year olds and 103 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, with slower growth in subsequent years.

Figure K1.1 Early childhood education "apparent" participation rate, 3 and 4 year olds, 1986–2005

Graph showing Early childhood education "apparent" participation rate, 3 and 4 year olds, 1986–2005

Sources: 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

In July 2005, 94 percent of all Year One students had attended some form of early childhood education service before starting school, the same proportion as in the previous two years. This compares with 91 percent of Year One students in 2000.

Ethnic differences

There are marked ethnic differences in the proportion of Year One students who have attended an early childhood education service, with European students being the most likely to have attended: 98 percent compared with 90 percent of Māori and 85 percent of Pacific Year One students in 2005. However the gap in ethnic participation rates has narrowed in recent years as a result of a faster growth in attendance by Pacific and Māori children.

Table K1.1 Early childhood education attendance by Year One students, by ethnic group, as at 1 July 2000–2005

	European	Māori	Pacific	Asian	Other	Total
2000	95.4	84.8	76.1	89.2	83.0	91.0
2001	96.0	85.3	76.3	89.8	84.1	91.3
2002	96.6	86.5	79.4	92.1	86.6	92.3
2003	97.4	88.4	83.4	92.4	88.9	93.6
2004	97.6	89.3	84.7	94.1	89.4	94.1
2005	97.7	89.9	84.5	95.1	89.9	94.3

Source: Ministry of Education
Note: These figures exclude cases for which attendance was unknown. Total figures for 2003 and 2004 have been revised by the Ministry of Education

Participation by type of early childhood education service

In 2005, childcare centres (41 percent) and kindergartens (39 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 (6 percent) and kōhanga reo (5 percent).

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