A further concern relates to the use of census meshblock level information to calculate deciles. This tells us about the characteristics of the communities that children and young people live in, rather than their own actual circumstance. Analysis, both in New Zealand and overseas, indicates that a significant proportion of people get misclassified by such an approach. Early childhood education affordability Unlike schools, early childhood education services often charge compulsory fees, so affordability could be a barrier to participation, particularly for children from low-income households. These children may also be at risk of educational under-achievement. Nevertheless, addressing barriers to affordability is a distinct objective from addressing higher needs for educational support. The latter is the focus of this paper, whereas the former primarily relies upon the Ministry of Social Development’s targeted Childcare Subsidy. Different household characteristics are used to target assistance to address these different objectives, and appropriately so. Affordability measures tend to use household income at a particular point in time, whereas for achievement support it is better to look for factors that have a longer-term influence on achievement. There can however be some overlap between these two objectives. Some ECE services currently use part of their Equity Funding to reduce fees or other costs to parents. International context New Zealand’s decile system has some features in common with approaches in other countries, but also some differences. outlines key characteristics of approaches used in other countries. Table 1: Funding approaches to address risk of educational under-achievement in other countries Country Risk assigned to Main indicators Concentration? Individual, Parental occupation Commonwealth, 6 Yes Australia – – states/ territories; Commonwealth, 5 except for Australian states/territories; Capital Territory Parental education Commonwealth and – (ACT), Queensland 5 states/ territories; Implicit ACT, – and South Australia Queensland and Indigeneity all except Tasmania; – where primarily South Australia; Community characteristics Queensland, – school. No Northern ACT; – Territory Prior achievement Victoria; – Refugee status Queensland – Individual Free school meals (proxy for income/ No United benefit status) Pupil Premium; Kingdom – Community characteristics (poverty); prior attainment; children in care; student mobility Individual 31 states; School meal entitlement (proxy for Yes federal, 18 United States – – income/benefit status) 30 states; states; District federal, 10 – – states; Income/poverty federal, 9 states; No 23 states – – No funding 9 states Other govt programmes 6 states; – – Prior achievement 4 states; – Transience 4 states –
A further concern relates to the use of census meshblock level information to calculate deciles. This tells us about the characteristics of the communities that children and young people live in, rather than their own actual circumstance. Analysis, both in New Zealand and overseas, indicates that a significant proportion of people get misclassified by such an approach. Early childhood education affordability Unlike schools, early childhood education services often charge compulsory fees, so affordability could be a barrier to participation, particularly for children from low-income households. These children may also be at risk of educational under-achievement. Nevertheless, addressing barriers to affordability is a distinct objective from addressing higher needs for educational support. The latter is the focus of this paper, whereas the former primarily relies upon the Ministry of Social Development’s targeted Childcare Subsidy. Different household characteristics are used to target assistance to address these different objectives, and appropriately so. Affordability measures tend to use household income at a particular point in time, whereas for achievement support it is better to look for factors that have a longer-term influence on achievement. There can however be some overlap between these two objectives. Some ECE services currently use part of their Equity Funding to reduce fees or other costs to parents. International context New Zealand’s decile system has some features in common with approaches in other countries, but also some differences. outlines key characteristics of approaches used in other countries. Table 1: Funding approaches to address risk of educational under-achievement in other countries Country Risk assigned to Main indicators Concentration? Australia Individual, except for Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Queensland and South Australia where primarily school. Parental occupation – Commonwealth, 6 states/ territories; Parental education – Commonwealth and 5 states/ territories; Indigeneity – all except Tasmania; Community characteristics – Queensland, ACT; Prior achievement – Victoria; Refugee status – Queensland Yes – Commonwealth, 5 states/territories; Implicit – ACT, Queensland and South Australia; No – Northern Territory United Kingdom Individual Free school meals (proxy for income/ benefit status) – Pupil Premium; Community characteristics (poverty); prior attainment; children in care; student mobility No United States Individual – 31 states; District – federal, 10 states; No funding – 9 states School meal entitlement (proxy for income/benefit status) – 30 states; Income/poverty – federal, 9 states; Other govt programmes – 6 states; Prior achievement – 4 states; Transience – 4 states Yes – federal, 18 states; No – 23 states