All of us who have known Clare and watched her career over the last 40 years
have witnessed her tenacity and incredible leadership in the early childhood
space. As a teacher, a unionist and holding a variety of positions within the
education sector space….
Clare has been the chief executive of New Zealand
Kindergartens Te Putahi Kura Puhou o Aotearoa since 2008 and retired from this position
in 2018. Her previous roles include policy adviser for the New Zealand Public
Service Association and a senior policy adviser to the Minister of Education.
Ms Wells has been on several education boards and groups since 1991, most
recently the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards Panel of Experts, the
Minister of Education’s Cross-Sector Forum and the Minister’s Continuity of
Early Learning Group, the Childrens’ Action Plan Directorate Workforce Advisory
Group, the New Zealand Teachers Council Early Childhood Education Advisory
Group (of which she is Chair), the Early Childhood Education Quality Working
Group, and is a member of the Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Advisory
Committee.
It was not so long ago that she was
among many other issues advocating for a return to 100% qualified staff …
“Teacher shortages aren’t limited to schools” said
NZ Kindergartens Chief Executive Clare Wells. “There is also an urgent need to
address the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers in early childhood
education (ECE).”
“We are seeing the result of government changes
over the past decade and shifting targets and timeframes to achieve a fully
qualified ECE teaching workforce” said Clare Wells. Sixteen years ago, the
Labour government set in place targets for 100% qualified teachers in
teacher-led, centre-based services. In 2010, the National government slashed
the target to 80% along with the funding. “Years of uncertainty for people
looking to take up a teaching career, and for employers and training providers,
is taking its toll. We have to turn that around.”
“Kindergartens and many education and care services
have managed to hang on to 100% qualified teachers but that’s getting harder to
do” said Clare Wells. “Attracting people into the teaching profession is one
thing, supporting them to stay there is another – and we have to do both” Clare
Wells said.
What will make a difference:
· determining
that all staff in teaching roles are qualified teachers;
· reinstating
and improving funding levels to maintain 100% qualified teachers in services
where this is currently the case;
· designing
policy and implementing funding to help those working in ECE services to become
qualified teachers;
· providing
appropriate funding to ensure newly graduated teachers have access to the
support they need as beginning teachers;
· increasing
pay and improving employment conditions for all qualified ECE teachers and
ensuring they are covered by a national collective agreement;
· extending
the support offered to teachers in the schools sector to all teachers, to
attract and retain staff especially in isolated and rural communities.
“Clearly the initiatives to attract more school
teachers is a welcome ‘quick fix’ but there is no such offer to ECE” Clare
Wells said. “We’re lagging behind again. We need the government to put a stake
in the ground now and implement a coherent workforce policy, ensure top quality
teacher education programmes are available, and ensure ECE services have the
resources and support they need to attract and retain qualified teachers.
It is these sorts of actions and obvious advocacy
for the movement as a whole that have lead to Clare’s recognition this weekend.
Well done Clare you have worked tirelessly for not only Early Childhood
Education but for the public service as well! A well deserved award. Congratulations. Arohanui, Wendy
