New Zealand -
National network

Kindergarten is a network of services offered nationwide across diverse communities. Kindergartens are in every community and operated by regional kindergarten associations. In 2017, there are 30 regional kindergarten associations supporting over 650 kindergartens. The largest association – Auckland – operates 107 kindergartens, and the smallest is Geraldine with one kindergarten.

Defined in the Education Act 1989, a kindergarten association is an organisation ‘founded for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a kindergarten or kindergartens’. Associations have always been and remain so, independent and autonomous not-for-profit entities, and registered charities. They are the employer of all staff including kindergarten teachers and the owner or leasee of kindergarten properties. The association is the entity that receives funding from government to provide services and is responsible for ensuring kindergarten services meet Ministry of Education regulations and other statutory obligations. Associations are bound by the provisions of the State Sector Act 1988 which sets out the requirements of associations as employers and provides for the collective bargaining of employment conditions for teachers. Associations have governance boards and specialist management and professional leadership teams to oversee the successful operation of the association and kindergartens.

Kindergartens vary both within and across associations and reflect their unique communities. However all kindergartens, regardless of the association which operates them, have key features in common. Te Whāriki is the early childhood education curriculum in all kindergartens. Kindergartens employ 100% qualified, registered teachers and kindergarten teaching teams are supported by professional leaders. Kindergartens are committed to working closely with parents and communities.

Many associations also offer additional services such as education and care or home-based services. Forest or nature discovery kindergartens, kindergartens attached to school-based teen parent units, and kindergarten within a ‘community hub’ are features. Many associations and kindergartens are part of wider government programmes such as Whānau Ora, Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) and Incredible Years (IY). Kindergartens feature in the Enviroschools programme and more and more are becoming involved in Environmental Education for Sustainability. 

The history of each kindergarten association is unique with much variety in age, size and regional character. A few associations have deposited their historical archives in regional libraries or museums. Most of the records are still housed in regional association offices and indeed in the storerooms and cupboards of individual kindergartens. Some records have been catalogued; others remain unsorted in boxes and in cupboards.

The story of kindergarten associations and their kindergartens have been documented in NZFKU publications. These list the year kindergartens were established and in some cases tell the story of how the community work together to raise the funds to build a kindergarten in their community. These publications are Kindergartens in New Zealand 1889-1975 and Seventy Five years of Free Kindergarten in New Zealand 1889-1964.