Dress up day in the Far North

The Far North Parent Mentoring cluster is a group of 13 Northland schools trialling a new approach to educating pre-schoolers in isolated rural communities – taking pre-school learning into homes, and pre-school learners into school.

The initiative recognises that many rural families/whänau in the region have limited access to early childhood education. Factors such as low population density, low pre-schooler numbers, large travelling distances and poor financial circumstances mean that young children are not always getting the early learning they need.

Using a model trialled in South Auckland, the 13 primary schools invite families/whänau with children aged three to five to attend a once-weekly session of art, music, dance, drama and books in the school library. These sessions provide children and parents with peer support, skills and learning strategies. In addition, all children receive a weekly pack of English, Mäori or bilingual pre-school resources full of fun activities and helpful tips for parents – and they include simple learning tools such as scissors, crayons, felt pens, paper, pencils and play-dough.

Schools and families are delighted with the programme. Christine Gilmore, principal of Umawera School (64 kilometres south of Kaitaia), says, “If pre-schoolers can’t access formal early childhood education, we think this is the next best thing. We see the difference the programme makes when the children start school. It ensures that all children and their parents are comfortable with the school environment; they know the school staff and the students – and they are ready to learn.”

The initiative relies on the services of a part-time local facilitator – a role that’s possible thanks to funding from the Todd Foundation. The facilitators play an important part in helping each school community to provide high-quality, engaging resources and learning activities for their children.