Summary

Key Highlights 2013

Participation

• Despite a decline in the population of around 4,000 0-4 year-olds in 2013, participation in ECE continues to rise. There were 200,922 enrolments in licensed ECE services in June 2013, up nearly 4,400 since June 2012.
• Growth in enrolments has picked up again in 2013, after slowing in 2011 and 2012. Enrolments grew by 2.2%, up from 1.3% in 2012. Enrolments have increased by 6.2% since 2010 and 23% over the last decade.
• Nearly 96% of children had attended ECE in the 6 months prior to starting school in 2013.
• Participation of 2 and 3 year-olds has increased more than other ages, and their enrolment rates have also increased (to around 64% and 94% respectively).
• 18% of enrolments were aged 1 or under, 20% were aged 2, and 62% were 3 years or over.
• The majority of enrolment growth remains in education and care services, where numbers were up 5.1% since 2012, 13% since 2010 and 53% since 2004. Education and care services now make up 62% of all licensed services.
• Enrolments in kindergartens and playcentres continued to decline, down 3.3% and 5.1% respectively. In 2013, kōhanga reo enrolments also decreased in 2013 (by 190 or 2.0%).
• Māori and Pasifika contributed nearly two-thirds (63%) of the growth in 2013. Māori enrolments were up by 2,600 (or 6.2%), while Pasifika enrolments were up by 860 (or 6.3%).
• Growth in Asian enrolments also continues to be high, up by 1,900 (or 12%). Together, Māori, Pasifika and Asian children contributed almost all (98%) of the growth in 2013.
• Children are continuing to be enrolled longer in ECE across all teacher-led service types. Average hours enrolled per week increased to 21.7 hours in 2013, up nearly 40 minutes from 2012.
• 91% of all enrolments for children aged 3-5 years were in the 20 Hours ECE scheme in 2013, up 1.1 percentage points from 2012.  Take-up of 20 Hours ECE by playcentres increased from 33% to 37%.

Services

• There were 4,255 licensed services at June 2013. This number (once adjusted for mergers) was up 2.2% from 2012.
• 155 new services opened in the year to June 2013 (compared with 152 the year before). 119 of these were education and care centers and 30 were home-based services.
• 59 services closed in the year to June 2013 (compared with 50 the year before). 50 of these were either education and care or home-based services.
• 32% of ECE services had waiting times of over a month, down from 35% in 2012, and from its peak of 56% in 2008.
• Occupancy rates remained stable at 80% in 2013.
• The number of Māori language immersion services in 2013(476) remained similar to the number in 2012 (473). The number of services where Māori was used more than 50% of the time (493) was one less than in 2012 (494).
• 96 services reported using a Pasifika language for more than 50 percent of the time (compared with 93 in 2012). There were 54 services where a Pasifika language was spoken more than 80% of the time (compared with 53 in 2012). Samoan and Tongan were the languages most used in these services.

Teaching Staff

• There were 4,255 licensed services at June 2013. This number (once adjusted for mergers) was up 2.2% from 2012.
• 155 new services opened in the year to June 2013 (compared with 152 the year before). 119 of these were education and care centers and 30 were home-based services.
• 59 services closed in the year to June 2013 (compared with 50 the year before). 50 of these were either education and care or home-based services.
• 32% of ECE services had waiting times of over a month, down from 35% in 2012, and from its peak of 56% in 2008.
• Occupancy rates remained stable at 80% in 2013.
• The number of Māori language immersion services in 2013(476) remained similar to the number in 2012 (473). The number of services where Māori was used more than 50% of the time (493) was one less than in 2012 (494).
• 96 services reported using a Pasifika language for more than 50 percent of the time (compared with 93 in 2012). There were 54 services where a Pasifika language was spoken more than 80% of the time (compared with 53 in 2012). Samoan and Tongan were the languages most used in these services.