Kaiako
Gonville Kindergarten- He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens

I have been around the sector for as long as I can remember with a family of teachers. I started my Early Childhood Education teaching in the middle of 2020 amidst COVID working in a ECE Pacific Centre. Since then, I have moved to He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens Association and have worked as a Kaiako within one of the kindergartens in Whanganui, also moving in the facilitation roles with other ECE teams delivering Tapasā with two colleagues. Currently provisionally registered and completing full registration this year.

I bring the lens of kaiako working on the floor, however with networking within the wider association, I am able to share the voices of those around me with what is currently happening within kindergartens, the changes that come through.

What I would like to see come out of the National Industry Advisory Group to support ECE workforce would be continuing to support the sectors voices and walking alongside them to advocate for the changes that we need to be able to better respond to tamariki and their whānau – that may be in targeting certain areas that need bolstering to make sure that new graduating kaiako are able to walk into any ECE setting with a lot more knowledge on how they can support and respond in the best way they can.