Participation in early childhood education

Why This Is Important

Time spent in early childhood education (ECE) enhances future learning. It has been found to have a significant relationship to achievement at age 8 and age 10 (associated with cognitive competence score including literacy, mathematics and logical problem-solving measures) for children in the Competent Children Study (Wylie, C. et al, 2001).  Children’s early childhood education experience’s were still contributing to their mathematics and reading comprehension scores two years later at age 12 (Wylie, C. et al, 2004).  Aspects of early childhood education centre quality appear to have made some additional contribution to age-14 mathematics, reading comprehension, and attitudinal scores (Wylie, C. et al, 2006).

When linked to a number of other variables including socio-economic mix, maternal qualification and ECE centre teachers being responsive to children, duration of ECE makes up a component of the overall contribution to children's achievement.  This is important because it confirms a range of international research that demonstrates the ongoing influence of early childhood education on children's learning.

Indicator

Apparent enrolment rates

The age-standardised enrolment rate in early childhood education services is one where all years being compared are artificially given the same age distribution. In this indicator, age-specific enrolment rates have been standardised to (or weighted by) the 2008 national population estimates, as produced by Statistics New Zealand.

As enrolment rates increase with age, standardising for age will remove any differences due to one year having a relatively younger or older population than other years. As such, the standardised rate is an artificial measure, but it does provide an estimate of how enrolment rates by year might more fairly compare if they had the same age distribution.

Numerator: (Data Source: Ministry of Education: July Roll Returns)
Number of children attending early childhood education services, as at 30 June, by year of age.

Denominator: (Data Source: Statistics New Zealand: National Census of Populations and Dwellings)
Number of children in New Zealand, as at 30 June, by year of age.

Interpretation Issues

The indicator over-estimates enrolment rates in the population because it double- or triple- counts those children who attend more than one early childhood education service. This is particularly problematic for 3 year-olds and 4 year-olds, as they have fairly high rates of participation. To get a more accurate perspective of the numbers of children that participate in ECE services prior to going to school go to Prior participation in early childhood education: new entrants.

Please note - previously population data provided at a sub-national level (such as by a territorial authority) has been based on the Statistics NZ latest projected figures given a medium variant. Due to the high birth rates that are currently being experienced, the 2008 population data uses the high variant values, scaled down slightly to match more closely with the latest population estimate values.