Early childhood staff across the country held a day of action on Friday, asking the new Government to prioritise improvements in the sector and for children to be put first.

It was not a strike and teachers still went to work, but in Palmerston North teachers gathered at three sites across the city in the evening to send a message to the Government.

They want better teacher-to-child ratios, pay parity for all staff and a funding system to support equity across the sector.

At Te Reanga Childcare Centre, the teachers wore black-and-yellow clothing for the event.

Teacher Hayley Crosse said the loss of fair pay agreements would affect everyone in the sector, including non-teaching staff such as cooks and administration workers.

“They have committed to taking away our fair pay agreements by Christmas, which is pretty heartbreaking for the profession. We’re just calling on them to not forget about us and to listen to what we’re asking for.”

Teacher Glenys Murphy said they wanted pay equity because there was a substantial shortfall in the funding.

“That includes better funding for early childhood centres so they can pay their teachers what they’re worth and for us to be able to look after the kids, which is what it’s all about, our tamariki.”

Crosse said they needed these improvements to make being an early childhood teacher a more attractive job.

“Because at the moment it’s not,” Murphy said. “Going to the centres I go to as a reliever, I’m seeing staff absolutely exhausted, they’re at the end of their rope.

“There are a lot of staff away. At the moment teachers are away because they’re either sick themselves or their children are sick and have got to stay home. That effects all the ratios.”

Murphy is a retired primary school principal, but was working as an early childhood reliever now.

She said there was offers of work every day and that was widespread for relievers because there was such a need for teachers.