Government should invest more money in preschool education?

On average, everyone agrees with nonconsensus between 420 voters.

Reasons To Disagree

Why - isn't this a parents job?

Havent they done this already by effectively forcing both parents into a work environment leading kids to be placed in pre-school day care. No reason to pay for this also, if you have kids you should accept the financial responsibility for that decision and pay your own bills

A strong imbalance between those with young children and those without

Preschool isnt all what it seems to be, do they really teach and look after your child to your standards or are they just doing it for the money? I no where my daughter goes they dont really want her as she is not a fulltime preschooler yet im a full time mum and student

There is a very strong tendency for the current gummint to "tweak" the education syllabus to produce "good little socialists". (As has been done in the teaching proffession.) All funding for all schooling should be in the form of tokens to allow the parent to choose where that money is best spent - and to supplement it if they wish.

There is no reason to invest money in such a useless area because preschool education is a waste of time and should be the parents responsibility in the first place.

Okay... I am a qualified early childhood teacher and i have to say that while I do a pretty good job i still have to say that yes the parents should be looking after their own children. I think the current government has made it so that parents cant afford to look after their own children and i see a lot of parents dropping their children off and the child is in tears and the parent is in tears and if the world was right then both would be at home having fun!!

are we the nanny state or the mother state here?!

Parents should be teaching their children.

Would be nice, but we can't afford it. If you wish to have kids one parent or grandparent should be at home to nurture and teach them until they're at least 5. If you're not prepared to do that, don't have them.

no. its not as important as primary or secondary

Reasons To Agree

as in this day an age. people expect you to work longer hours and in order for everyone to have equall oppitunity then pre schools should be on the same parr as primary schools

It will certainly give the government a foot in the door of familys who dont value there childrens education enough

Ofcourse they should!!! If a kid is already in the system they should be getting the best possible education avaliable...This is the starting point of their education, i strongly agree that the best place for kids is at home but in some cases they are better off at daycare or their working parents have no choice.. all areas of education need more funding!

Education has to be seen as an investment, not an expense. Chn who have experienced ECE are less likely to commit crime and more likely to enter higher education. Over the short term, it may cost but if seen as a long term investment for every dollar we invest in ECE now, the country will get a $17.00 return when the child is working and paying tax. Quality Education means qualified teachers. The current government needs to commit to 100% qualified teachers in ECE centres to give NZ kids the best. Qualified Registered teachers have been well trained for over 5 years and closely supervised. This is not the case for unqualified teachers and as a parent I want to know my children are receiving education and care not being babysat by disinterested teenagers. Invest in Education!

Yes! yes! Yes! Parents are working too hard!! long hours, not enough money and not enough time for there own children. Those who disagree do not realise that between the age of 0-8yrs are the most important years of there lives, to become competent, confident and life long learners! invest in earlychildhood to recieve quality education for young children!