Carol Ruskin

Ngāti Porou/Rākairoa

 “I value children and what life can hold for them. The whole world in early childhood education is magic. Their discovery of life through natural things makes it a pleasure to come into work every day.”

The passion of valuing children and giving them a quality education shines through within the very first seconds of meeting Carol.

“The birth to 5 years are the most crucial years in a child’s experiential development,” says Carol. “If we get the early childhood education formula right in New Zealand, we’ll need fewer police and have fewer health issues and we can inspire children to develop the positive dispositions to become lifelong learners and quality participants in our society,” Carol maintains.

One could say Carol fell into early childhood teaching by chance. “When I was having our third child, I gave up working as an office manager because the pressures of working full time while bringing up a young family were too great.” Being such a livewire, Carol needed to do something besides looking after her family so began craft classes. “They had a crèche and I used to help out in it sometimes. I loved it and haven’t looked back since!”

Well qualified with a Diploma in Teaching (ECE), Diploma of Early Intervention and a Bachelor of Social Science, Carol has now worked in the sector for 18 years. “I value children and what life can hold for them. The whole world in early childhood education is magic. Their discovery of life through natural things makes it a pleasure to come into work every day.”

It has always been important for Carol to have well qualified staff at the centre. “It has a huge impact on how and what children learn and underpins why we do things with children. It also teaches them how to move children’s learning from one level to the next. They understand the importance of the family too. Families have to feature very strongly here.”

Two of the staff at Aorere speak fluent Te Reo, another two have an adequate level of Te Reo, one speaks Samoan, one Tongan and one staff member has even picked up Korean.

There is only one thing on Carol’s wish list and that is to remove the undervaluing that society feels towards early childhood education. “I’m always justifying working in early childhood. People need to know that what they are today is largely formed by the time they are five.”