Moroney Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Moroney Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:671;Page:17447] 
8. 
SUE MORONEY (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Does she support the findings of the Children’s Commissioner that small group sizes improve the quality of care and education for infants and toddlers? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
on behalf of the  
Minister of Education 
: Yes that is why we have minimum requirements for adult to child ratios and a minimum requirement for the number of children to space. 
Sue Moroney 
: Is the Minister concerned then that the Children’s Commissioner found that group sizes need to be reduced for under-2-year-olds just days after the Minister changed the regulations to allow group sizes for under-twos to increase—in fact to treble—allowing up to 75 babies in one area when the maximum was 25? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I do not think that the member understands the policy change made in that respect. What was changed was not the centre size but that a centre would not need more than one licence to have more than 50 children. So as a consequence we still have the actual rules and regulations around the ratio of space per child. That has not changed. 
Sue Moroney 
: Did she read this section of the report of the Children’s Commissioner: “Some centres can have up to 25 under-2s in one space. With high numbers and little open space the … teachers reported that babies lacked the spacial freedom to move and toddlers were sometimes jostled and unable to experience enriched learning.”? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The member does not discuss how big that space is. The minimum requirements under National are the same as those under Labour. I have read a quote in a newspaper made by the City Heights early childhood centre in Dunedin stating that Minister Tolley was to be applauded for removing an irritating extravagant and time-wasting piece of bureaucratic red tape. 
Sue Moroney 
: Why did she decide to change the regulations regarding group size on 28 February just 6 days after the Christchurch earthquake? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I do not think the member quite understands the issue. We have changed the requirement in respect of more than one licence. We have not changed the group size. We have not changed how many children can be in a centre. What we had was a requirement for three licences if a centre had over 100 children. There was a doubling up of administration paperwork and Education Review Office reports. It was completely ridiculous. As members can see the change was commended by the sector. 
Sue Moroney 
: I seek leave to table two documents. The first document is a letter from the office of the Hon Anne Tolley dated 28 February just 6 days after the earthquake notifying an early childhood centre of the change to the regulations. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Sue Moroney 
: The second document I seek leave to table is a copy of the report of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner entitled  
Through their Lens. An inquiry into non-parental education and care of infants and toddlers 
. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.