What prompted ABC Group to announce that its NZ operations are safe, profitable and will continue.
I think NZ elections had something to do with it. McGrath Nicol the reciervers are just waiting for the outcome of the elections. Between now and Christmas expect some arm-twisting by ABC in New Zealand for a government rescue/bailout.
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Tough times for childcare corporates: ABC Learning going down? What about Kidicorp?
Parents in Australia and New Zealand are waiting with baited breath to find out about the future of ABC Learning, the childcare multinational (Also see wikipedia entry). Reports in many australian papers today(see below) and now on TV 3 News in News Zealand point to the impending demise of ABC Learning. ABC Learning is in talks with receivers while at the same time trying to hoodwink the Australian government into bailing it out or even buy it out. What does this mean for childcare provision at a tough economic time?
Childcare is a tough business for corporates to handle. It can only be efficiently run as small business. The main reason is that when it operates as a corporate business it becomes top heavy - epitomising all the bad habits of capitalism. The corporate structures which they setup come home to roost sooner or later. Early childhood corporates should empower their managers to operate centres as a business with greater degree of freedom from daily demands of the golf-playing mafia in the head office. Early childhood education is a business which depends on the goodwill and skill of the people at the lowest ladder (the teachers). This lesson seems to have been lost on ABC which is notorious for over-management.
What about Kidicorp Ltd?
Not to make matters any better, there are indications that Kidicorp the largest childcare provider in New Zealand could be a sinking ship as well. In South Auckland alone where Kidicorp owns and operates many centres, Kidicorp has lost many employees (centre managers, head teachers etc.) due to management high-handedness. Employees and parents are concerned but clueless in the face of high employee turnover which also creates confusion in minds of young children and interfares with their learning. Head office people trained not in early childhood education but in business management are to be blammed here.
How does this relate to knowledge policy?
Education is the main stimulus towards attaining knowledge society and early childhood education especially so. What we reap tomorrow depends on what we sow today and how we nurture the learning of our children. Governments seem to have fallen into the trap of believing that big players can provide quality education. The governments need to realise that early childhood education delivery works best when small and medium sized businesses catering to small niches implement curricula in cmpetition with each other. Bigger players have made it difficult for smaller players to thrive. Also, bigger players often are able to byepass stringent quality criteria stipulated by the government. A cursory look at some of the corporate run centres makes one wonder how did they get license for so many children when they dont have enough indoor and outdoor play space. The overarching demand for childcare in the wake of poorly thought out and populist policies such as 20-free hours childcare in NZ has meant that parents are not in a bargaining position and usually dont complain about physical and environmental infrastructure. I challenge all the NZ Ministry of Education policymakers to put their hands on their hearts and tell me whether corporates like ABC and Kidicorp really implement curricula that follows the spirit of vision documents like Te Whariki? If the answer is no, then why bail them out when they are in trouble?
Sources from the moreover.com newsfeed:
ABC Learning teeters on the edge... - Sydney Morning Herald
Receivership talk swirls around ABC... - Daily Telegraph Australia
Receivers hover over ABC Learning... - Age
Govt must act on ABC Learning: Liberals... - Nine MSN
ABC Learning in talks with govt, banks...OptusNet
Govt must act on ABC Learning: Liberals...OptusNet
Childcare giant: ABC Learning in crisis talks...Herald Sun
ABC Learning in talks with govt, banks...Yahoo! News Australia
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Childcare is a tough business for corporates to handle. It can only be efficiently run as small business. The main reason is that when it operates as a corporate business it becomes top heavy - epitomising all the bad habits of capitalism. The corporate structures which they setup come home to roost sooner or later. Early childhood corporates should empower their managers to operate centres as a business with greater degree of freedom from daily demands of the golf-playing mafia in the head office. Early childhood education is a business which depends on the goodwill and skill of the people at the lowest ladder (the teachers). This lesson seems to have been lost on ABC which is notorious for over-management.
What about Kidicorp Ltd?
Not to make matters any better, there are indications that Kidicorp the largest childcare provider in New Zealand could be a sinking ship as well. In South Auckland alone where Kidicorp owns and operates many centres, Kidicorp has lost many employees (centre managers, head teachers etc.) due to management high-handedness. Employees and parents are concerned but clueless in the face of high employee turnover which also creates confusion in minds of young children and interfares with their learning. Head office people trained not in early childhood education but in business management are to be blammed here.
How does this relate to knowledge policy?
Education is the main stimulus towards attaining knowledge society and early childhood education especially so. What we reap tomorrow depends on what we sow today and how we nurture the learning of our children. Governments seem to have fallen into the trap of believing that big players can provide quality education. The governments need to realise that early childhood education delivery works best when small and medium sized businesses catering to small niches implement curricula in cmpetition with each other. Bigger players have made it difficult for smaller players to thrive. Also, bigger players often are able to byepass stringent quality criteria stipulated by the government. A cursory look at some of the corporate run centres makes one wonder how did they get license for so many children when they dont have enough indoor and outdoor play space. The overarching demand for childcare in the wake of poorly thought out and populist policies such as 20-free hours childcare in NZ has meant that parents are not in a bargaining position and usually dont complain about physical and environmental infrastructure. I challenge all the NZ Ministry of Education policymakers to put their hands on their hearts and tell me whether corporates like ABC and Kidicorp really implement curricula that follows the spirit of vision documents like Te Whariki? If the answer is no, then why bail them out when they are in trouble?
Sources from the moreover.com newsfeed:
ABC Learning teeters on the edge... - Sydney Morning Herald
Receivership talk swirls around ABC... - Daily Telegraph Australia
Receivers hover over ABC Learning... - Age
Govt must act on ABC Learning: Liberals... - Nine MSN
ABC Learning in talks with govt, banks...OptusNet
Govt must act on ABC Learning: Liberals...OptusNet
Childcare giant: ABC Learning in crisis talks...Herald Sun
ABC Learning in talks with govt, banks...Yahoo! News Australia
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