MP Quizzed about Cuts at Kindergarten Fale Opening

Here's a story from Hawkes Bay Today: 

Camberley Kindergarten combined Pasifika and politics when Tukituki MP Craig Foss visited the Early Childhood Education centre for the opening of a playground fale.

It followed a letter about funding cuts sent on behalf of the kindergarten's community.

The letter sent by the children, families, whanau, teachers and community of Camberley Kindergarten in July outlined funding issues affecting the centre and asked Mr Foss how he would help them remedy the issues.

Relief head teacher at the centre Raewyn Read-Eden said items of discussion were the recent Government taskforce report that outlined recommendations for future policy in the sector.

"It wasn't very formal or anything, but we discussed the implications for ECE and what it means and how Anne Tolley often talks about it," she said.

"We also talked about how Camberley Kindergarten is a community hub and has an essence about it."

Mr Foss said it was a positive meeting about how much the centre was valued by locals. A few of them talked about issues in and around ECE but a lot of that was in a conversational talk about the value of that community there, and what the centre means to that community," he said.

The MP's visit also coincided with the opening of the centre's new playground fale, to bring greater cultural diversity to the playground that also has a child-sized marae.

Heretaunga Intermediate's Pasifika Group performed dances as part of the opening ceremony for the fale.