Playcentre
Encyclopedia
Playcentre is an early childhood education and parenting organisation which operates parent-led early childhood education centres throughout New Zealand
and delivers the Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education. Playcentre is indigenous to New Zealand, but is now also established in Japan.
Their mission is stated as "Whānau Tupu Ngātahi - Families growing together."
Playcentre promotes itself as "a family organisation where –
so that whānau
are strengthened and communities enriched
suburb of Karori
. There are currently over 450 centres around New Zealand
with Playcentre being the dominant provider of early childhood education in rural areas.
Playcentre was instrumental in introducing the concept of education through play and through child-initiated activities to the early childhood setting in New Zealand. This philosophy has since been adopted throughout all New Zealand early childhood education centres through the New Zealand national curriculum for early childhood education, Te Whāriki. Playcentre remains a champion of child-led non-structured play as the best form of education in early childhood.
The Playcentre model has been copied by groups in other countries, including the Japan Playcentre Association.
Playcentre is a cooperative. Parents decide how their centre will run and are responsible for the education of their children. Parents also make decisions giving direction to how their association (regional body) and the New Zealand Playcentre Federation (national body) will run.
Playcentres are chartered early childhood education providers with the New Zealand Ministry of Education. Independent research and audits by the Education Review Office confirm the quality of Playcentre's programmes.
, New Zealand's first female Governor General, Dame Catherine Tizard
, the Olympic gold medallists, Caroline Evers-Swindell
and Georgina Evers-Swindell
, Colin Simon (designer of the Christchurch Commonwealth Games 1974 games
- Christchurch
, New Zealand
symbol and the Playcentre Logo), Valerie Burns (Companion of the Queen's Service Order ) and a host of sporting, media, business and political luminaries.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and delivers the Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education. Playcentre is indigenous to New Zealand, but is now also established in Japan.
Their mission is stated as "Whānau Tupu Ngātahi - Families growing together."
Playcentre promotes itself as "a family organisation where –
- we empower adults and children to, play, work, learn and grow together
- we honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and celebrate people’s uniqueness
- we value and affirm parents as the first and best educators of their children"
so that whānau
Whanau
Whānau , is a Māori-language word for extended family, now increasingly entering New Zealand English, particularly in official publications.In Māori society, the whānau is also a political unit, below the level of hapū and iwi, and the word itself also has other meanings: as a verb meaning to give...
are strengthened and communities enriched
History
The Playcentre movement started during the Second World War to provide a break for mothers as well as means to allow for the social development of the child within a cooperative environment. The first such Playcentre was established in 1941 in the WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
suburb of Karori
Karori
Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, some 4 km from the city centre.Karori is significantly larger than most other Wellington suburbs, having a population of over 14,000 at the time of the 2006 census.-History:Before the arrival of...
. There are currently over 450 centres around New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with Playcentre being the dominant provider of early childhood education in rural areas.
Playcentre was instrumental in introducing the concept of education through play and through child-initiated activities to the early childhood setting in New Zealand. This philosophy has since been adopted throughout all New Zealand early childhood education centres through the New Zealand national curriculum for early childhood education, Te Whāriki. Playcentre remains a champion of child-led non-structured play as the best form of education in early childhood.
The Playcentre model has been copied by groups in other countries, including the Japan Playcentre Association.
Philosophy
Playcentre believes that parents are the first and best educators of their children and children learn best when they initiate their leaning through play (child-initiated play). Within Playcentre children and adults learn alongside each other, in agreement with the socio-cultural model of learning which posits that a child learns best when surrounded by trusted members of his or her community.Playcentre is a cooperative. Parents decide how their centre will run and are responsible for the education of their children. Parents also make decisions giving direction to how their association (regional body) and the New Zealand Playcentre Federation (national body) will run.
Practice
- Children may attend from birth to school age, 0-6 years
- Children attend half day sessions, 1 per day, no more than 5 per week
- Minimum of 1 adult per 5 children during sessions
- Sessions are normally mixed age
- Parents run the sessions
- Parents manage the Playcentre, including the building and administration, and are responsible the education of themselves and the children.
Structure
Every Playcentre is part of a regional association. There are currently 33 regional associations, which provide support and training and are governed by their member Playcentres. In turn each association is supported by the national body, The New Zealand Playcentre Federation. The Federation is governed by the associations and provides support to meet the goals of the associations.Playcentres are chartered early childhood education providers with the New Zealand Ministry of Education. Independent research and audits by the Education Review Office confirm the quality of Playcentre's programmes.
Education programme
Playcentre Education administers the NZQA approved Playcentre Diploma in Early Childhood and Adult Education. The course provides parents with skills to improve their parenting and to provide high quality early childhood education in a Playcentre setting. The programme also assists members to learn how to work in a cooperative as well as being the training ground for Playcentre adult educators. The adult education programme is delivered at no cost to the learner.Notable Playcentre people
Famous Playcentre alumni include New Zealand's first female Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Jenny ShipleyJenny Shipley
Dame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
, New Zealand's first female Governor General, Dame Catherine Tizard
Catherine Tizard
Dame Catherine Anne Tizard, was Mayor of Auckland City and the 16th Governor-General of New Zealand, the first woman to hold either office.-Early life:...
, the Olympic gold medallists, Caroline Evers-Swindell
Caroline Evers-Swindell
Caroline Meyer formerly known as Caroline Evers-Swindell is a former New Zealand rower. She is 179 cm tall and 80kg. She competed in the double sculls with her identical twin sister Georgina Earl...
and Georgina Evers-Swindell
Georgina Evers-Swindell
Georgina Earl, formerly known as Georgina Evers-Swindell is a former New Zealand rower. She competed in the double sculls with her identical twin sister Caroline Meyer, and is a double Olympic gold medalist, having won at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008...
, Colin Simon (designer of the Christchurch Commonwealth Games 1974 games
1974 British Commonwealth Games
The 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games....
- Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
symbol and the Playcentre Logo), Valerie Burns (Companion of the Queen's Service Order ) and a host of sporting, media, business and political luminaries.