Move To One Regulator A Major Turning Point In ECE Reform
'Recommendation two in the Ministry for Regulation review related to addressing the duplication of regulatory assessment, and inconsistencies between ERO's reviews of ECE providers and the Ministry of Education's interventions through their licensing regime. When these reforms take effect from next year, providers will deal with one regulator, thoroughly addressing the regulation-duplication issue once and for all,' said Simon Laube, ECC CEO.
The ECE regulatory review report was completed in December 2024, but the outcomes of that review are still being put into effect. Legislation was introduced into Parliament this week which will clarify the purpose of regulation in ECE, and Ministry of Education consultation recently closed on changes to the licensing criteria.
'We look forward to a day where the ECE regulations have clear standards that can be measured and tested objectively, and where providers can have confidence about what to expect from the regulator with no more disproportionate sanctions being taken.'
'Today's regulator announcement is a massive change and a significant aspect of a much wider series of ECE regulatory reforms. Today it's clear that this truly is reform, I think the level of system change is on a scale comparable to the restructure of the District Health Board model in the health system. There's still a long way to go with the ECE Regulatory reforms, but this change will become a major turning point in that overall journey. Do it once and do it properly. We know the direction better now, but the success still depends on its delivery,' said Simon Laube.
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