Why children are unprepared for school
It is too simplistic to place the blame on parents for 5-year-olds turning up not ready to start their schooling.
This is the analysis of Senior Lecturer Stuart Deerness, writing recently in the NZ Herald.
Parenting does not happen in a vacuum, and there have been broad shifts in New Zealand society since the 1980s, he says.
Increased work demands and unstable employment, housing pressure and the weakening of neighbourhood connections have changed family life, which all impacts on raising children.
Parents often have little time for activities that would help their children to be ready to start their first year at school.
Dr Deerness says there are also contradictory messages about technology use, with parents told to both prepare their children for a digital future but also to limit screentime.
There have also been repeated reforms in the education sector with changing expectations about what "school readiness" is.
Instead of just blaming parents, we might recognise a shared responsibility, Dr Deerness says.
Schools can build partnerships with families from different communities.
Not-for-profit community initiatives could be implemented.
Policies could recognise the current reality for families - in the workplace, in housing affordability and in community resource allocation.
And, Dr Deerness says, the wait time for developmental assessments is unacceptable.