He Pānui Kōhungahunga
Issue 68 – 29 September 2022
He Pānui Kōhungahunga
Ngā mihi o te ahiahi,
With the end of the COVID-19 protection framework, including mask-wearing requirements, there is a general mood of getting back to normality around the motu.
The Early Learning Bulletin will reflect that as we return to regular issues. This means discontinuing our COVID-19 section, which has been a feature of our special updates.
It also means reintroducing bulletin issue numbers and picking up from where we left off with issue 67 in January 2022.
Though we are returning to regular issues we will still update you on COVID-19 related information as needed, and of course people remain welcome to wear masks and are encouraged to stay up to date with their vaccinations.
Kia ora rawa atu
Iona
Funding reminders
Critical dates for the November 2022 RS7 return
On 1 November, we will pay the next instalment of ECE funding to licensed early learning services. The key funding dates for the 1 November 2022 payment are:
2022 |
Action |
| Saturday 1 October | Open date for RS7 return submission |
| Friday 7 October | Final date for paper and electronic RS7 returns to be received for funding to be paid on Thursday 1 November |
| Thursday 1 November (overnight) | ECE operational funding payment occurs |
We will send an email acknowledging receipt of the RS7 return to your service.
If you do not receive an acknowledgement email within two working days of your submission, check your student management system (SMS) or Early Learning Information system (ELI) reports and if necessary, contact us at ece.funding@education.govt.nz.
If you submit your RS7 return after 7 October, but before 7 November, you will receive funding on 21 November.
RS7 Returns following a change of ownership
Following a change of ownership, the new owner may submit an electronic RS7 return for the period after the purchase and send a paper based RS7 for the period prior to the purchase. Alternatively, the new owner can send an entire funding claim using a paper based RS7 return.
All funding following a change of ownership will be paid to the new owner. Any payment to the old owner will be actioned by the new owner. We do not split payments.
RS7 returns following a change of SMS
If you have not been using your new system (SMS or ELI Web) for the entire funding period, you can:
- submit the portion of your claim electronically, for the month/s you have been using your new system and send the paper based RS7 form for the month/s before you began using this system, or
- submit your entire funding claim using the paper based RS7 forms.
Resubmissions
You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the data submitted. Resubmissions are available to correct genuine errors or oversights that emerge later.
Resubmissions:
- for the June to September 2022 period should be made electronically
- for the October 2021 to May 2022 period should be submitted using a paper based RS7 form.
Resubmissions relating to any time before October 2021 will not be processed. Note that resubmissions may be audited by our Monitoring team.
Accessing your funding notice
Funding notices for the 1 November payment will be available for download from the Secure
Data Portal (SDP) following the payment.
Secure Data Portal – Education Sector Logon
Only funding contacts with access to the SDP will be able to download their service’s funding notice.
For further information about the Secure Data Portal and accessing electronic funding notices you can contact us at ece.securedataportal@education.govt.nz.
Discretionary hours reporting requirements
Teacher-led centre-based, and hospital-based services could use up to 80 discretionary hours in the June to September 2022 funding period. A discretionary hour is an hour that a service can claim an unqualified teacher as a certificated teacher for the staff hour count.
If your service used discretionary hours during the current funding period, you must submit a record of the total number of discretionary hours along with your RS7.
If you use an approved SMS and require assistance providing the information, contact your SMS provider.
If you submit a paper based RS7 or use ELI Web and have used discretionary hours, you must also send us the form below along with your RS7.
Discretionary hours report form: 80 Hours – Ministry of Education
Note, do not complete the form if your service has not used any discretionary hours.
The completed discretionary hours form and RS7 should be returned to:
Post: ECE Operational Funding, Ministry of Education, PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140 (for paper-based forms only)
Email: ece.funding@education.govt.nz
For more details on the requirements for discretionary hours, see Chapter 3-B-2 of the ECE Funding Handbook:
3-B-2 Teacher-led education and care services – Ministry of Education
Further information
For funding rules, please refer to the ECE Funding Handbook:
ECE Funding Handbook – Ministry of Education
Electronic RS7 returns and ELI reports are available on the ELI homepage:
Early Learning Information (ELI) reports – Ministry of Education
For any questions, or if you need to discuss any funding issues, please contact our Resourcing Support team Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm:
Phone: 0800 323 323 or email: resourcing@education.govt.nz.
For any licensing or general operational matters or if you require any updates to your service’s contact details, please contact your local Te Mahau office.
Funding protections: November 2022 funding round
All funding protections will be applied automatically to your funding from the 21 November 2022 payment. Services only need to complete their RS7 return for any protection to be applied.
Funding band protections: Teacher-led centre-based services
A service’s funding band for the November 2022 funding round will be no lower than the advance funding band a service received during the July 2022 funding round.
This protection applies to all funding bands, including those on 100%, and will apply to both the wash-up and advance funding rates calculated for the November 2022 funding round.
Teacher-led centre-based services include kindergartens, education and care services and hospital-based services.
Quality funding rate protections
Home-based services, playcentres and whānau-led kōhanga reo that were on the quality rate on 1 June 2022 will remain on the quality rate for the June to September period.
Extended funding settings
We have extended the following funding settings that have been used in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as they were set to lapse on 30 September 2022:
- The Emergency Closure funding can continue to be accessed by services who are unable open due to the impact of COVID-19 on staffing until 31 October.
- The Frequent Absence Rule will be reset on 1 October 2022.
- The Absence Exemptions can be accessed for children who are unwell with COVID-19 until 31 October.
- The 80 Discretionary Hours will be available to centre-based teacher-led services for the October 2022 to January 2023 funding period.
- The 10 discretionary situations will be available to playcentres, quality-funded home-based services and quality-funded Kōhanga reo for the October 2022 to January 2023 funding period.
You can find details of these funding settings on our Te Mahau websit:.
Consultation: Proposed Veterans’ Affairs Approved Information Sharing Agreement
Veterans’ Affairs are proposing to establish an Approved Information Sharing Agreement (AISA), which will enable information about veterans and their whānau to be shared between Veterans’ Affairs and other government agencies.
The proposed AISA is intended to make it simpler for veterans, their families and whānau to access services. The proposed changes also aim to reduce the paperwork for the veterans and to make it easier to gain support from Veterans’ Affairs and the other supporting government agencies.
Before the Government approves the proposed AISA, they need to be sure that people understand what is being proposed and have had the opportunity to have their concerns heard by making a submission.
We are a party to the agreement. Veterans’ Affairs would share personal information about dependents of veterans with us and we would provide education information to Veterans’ Affairs.
Some early learning services may have families of Veterans attending and wish to inform their community. More information and the process for giving feedback is available on the Veterans’ Affairs website:
Information Sharing – Veterans' Affairs
The consultation period is open now and closes on Friday 7 October 5pm.
Reasonable accommodation for children when considering HS29 – medicine training
We have provided guidance on how services can make reasonable efforts to accommodate children attending early services with medication needs arising from a disability or illness on our website:
Guidance for sunscreen use
As we move closer to summer it is timely to remind you about the use of sunscreen for children at your service.
As sunscreen is not a medicine, it does not need to be authorised or acknowledged in the same way that medicines do. While there is no requirement for parents to sign for sunscreen on a daily basis parents should be informed of the brand of sunscreen that is provided and the how and when it will be applied. This could be through your usual channels of communication with parents.
Save the date: ShakeOut 2022
You will soon receive a letter from Chief Executive National Emergency Management Agency David Gawn, and Secretary of Education Iona Holsted about this year’s New Zealand ShakeOut, our national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi.
Sign up here to take part in ShakeOut 2022 on Thursday 27 October 9.30am.
Sign up for New Zealand Shakeout – National Emergency Management Agency
It’s a great chance for your early learning service to join the nation to do a ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ drill and plan a tsunami hīkoi if you are in a tsunami zone.
Learning Support Study Awards closing tomorrow
Applications for the 2023 Learning Support Study Awards close tomorrow Friday 30 September.
This is an opportunity for teachers and kaiako to extend their knowledge and train for the Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching at Massey University. Find out more on our website:
Learning Support Study Awards and Scholarships – Ministry of Education
Kia Manawaroa is the Ministry’s dedicated newsletter for whānau Māori with children in education.
The latest issue is out now, and we encourage you to share it by copying and pasting the information below into your regular communications with whānau.
If you would like to share good news about something happening in your community, contact us on kia.manawaroa@education.govt.nz.
Find out how to submit an article and other information about Kia Manawaroa:
Kia Manawaroa – Education: For parents and whānau
Here is the recommended copy for your communications with whānau in te reo Māori and in English:
Kia Manawaroa – te reo Māori
Ko te kaupapa matua o Kia Manawaroa, he whakapāho pānui mo ngā whānau Māori me ā rātou tamariki e noho ana ki raro i te tawharau o Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.
Kua tuhituhia e te Māori mō ngai Māori epaana ki ngā kowhiringa me ngā pae tawhiti ki roto i te mātauranga, ngā tutukitanga o ngāi Māori hei Māori me te whakahoutia o te kōwheori mō ngā whānau.
Ānei te pānui hou: Kia Manawaroa 23 Mahuru 2022
Kua puta mai te perehitanga me ngā mohiotanga mō:
- Reflecting on Te Petihana Reo Māori 50th Anniversary Event
- Te Reo took me from freezing worker to academic
- School holiday ideas
- Awards for Gifted Learners are open now
- COVID-19 updates
- And more!
Whakahoki kōrero mai
He kōrero ano mō Kia Manawaroa
Ohauru mai kia whiwhi i ngā pārongo hou
Kia Manawaroa – English
Kia Manawaroa is the Ministry of Education’s pānui for whānau Māori with children in education.
It is written by Māori for Māori, with information about opportunities and milestones in education, Māori success as Māori, Te Reo Māori, and COVID-19 updates relevant to whānau as and when appropriate.
Read the latest issue of Kia Manawaroa 23 September 2022
In this issue:
- Reflecting on Te Petihana Reo Māori 50th Anniversary Event
- Te Reo took me from freezing worker to academic
- School holiday ideas
- Awards for Gifted Learners are open now
- COVID-19 updates
- And more!
Find out more about Kia Manawaroa
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