Labour dictates childcare drop-off times

National's Education spokesman, Bill English, says parents with children in early childhood care will be told by Labour to drop their children off "on the hour" so a new staff recording system can work.

"This confirms John Tamihere's view that the Labour Government is run by people who have no idea of the real work done by families. 

"Labour expects parents to re-organise their lives - and presumably their jobs - to fix a ridiculous bureaucratic system that requires childcare centres to record the presence of every child and every teacher in every hour of every day. 

"It's taking teachers up to two hours a day to get the figures right because some parents deliver their children between hours instead of on the hour.

"Ministry of Education officials told teachers at a training session in New Plymouth that they should 'ask parents to change their working hours so they can drop off and pick up on the hour'.  They felt no reasonable parent would be put out by this.

"This is another example of politically correct bureaucracy wasting precious learning time.

"Education Minister Trevor Mallard clearly doesn't know what is going on.  An internal email from him to his staff indicates he thinks the system is simple. 

"It's typical of this Labour Government that they expect parents to change their lives to fit its rules", Mr English says.


Ends