Nearly half of New Zealand early childhood teachers lack time to know children well

A new survey finds a sharp rise in early childhood staff who say they cannot build individual relationships with children, while confidence in the quality of care reaches a record low.

Early childhood teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand are reporting that their jobs are becoming less about teaching and more about supervision, with a new survey from the Office of Early Childhood Education finding that many frontline staff do not have enough time to build individual relationships with the children in their care.

The office said it surveyed more than 3,000 staff working at licensed early childhood education services nationwide. Of those who work directly with children, 47% said they did not have enough time to get to know them well, up from 30% in 2023. The office’s chief adviser, Sarah Alexander, said the jump was alarming and argued that children cannot be expected to thrive if teachers are too rushed to form the close attachments that support safety and learning.

The survey also points to growing unease among staff about the overall standard of care. According to the office, 35% of respondents said they would not be comfortable sending their own child to a service of the same quality as the one where they work, compared with 26% in 2023. The report says that this is the lowest level of staff endorsement recorded since the annual survey began in 2014, suggesting that recent government changes have not translated into better day-to-day experiences for children.

Some of the comments collected by the office describe a sector under strain, with teachers saying they feel pushed into tasks that keep them away from children. One respondent said children often came last while staff were directed to complete other work. Another said the role felt closer to that of a security officer than an educator, with much of the day spent scanning for risks and handling conflict. A third described crowded conditions and a system that makes centres feel like factory conditions rather than places for meaningful learning.

The report also raises concerns about safety and staffing. A quarter of respondents said they were worried about children’s safety at their service, while only 53% said their centre had never failed to meet minimum adult-to-child ratios. Current rules require centres to maintain minimum staffing levels, but the office argues that counting adults across an entire premises can hide problems on the ground. Alexander said regulation should shift towards a group-size model, with staff counted in ratio only when they are actively supervising children.