League tables ranking early childhood centres are feared as the Government addresses a "lack of accountability" in the sector.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said last night that an ECE Taskforce proposal for "mandatory performance reporting" was "not about league tables".

But early childhood education leaders said they were worried that toddlers would be required to work to a narrowed curriculum more focused on literacy and numeracy, instead of healthy character traits such as persistence, resilience and curiosity.

From the NZ Herald:

Nanny leaves 4-month-old home alone

By Andrew Koubaridis and Amelia Wade

"A 4-month-old baby was left alone by a professional caregiver who did not return to the house for more than two hours.

The unnamed caregiver has been sacked for her "inexcusable" mistake in leaving the baby boy alone in a house in Henderson, West Auckland this week.

The baby's father, Andrew Gous, left the infant with a caregiver from in-home childcare provider Porse on Wednesday morning, expecting him to be cared for while he and his wife were at work."