TAURANGA, New Zealand—Four hundred people marched here August 28 to protest planned cuts in government funding for early childhood education. The march and rally was organized by two local preschools in conjunction with the New Zealand Educational Institute, the union covering junior school and preschool teachers.

The cuts target child care centers with the highest proportion of trained staff, including all the fully state-funded kindergartens and many private centers that charge fees. Many will be forced to lay off teachers or raise prices.

“This is a really important cause. We don’t want to settle for a lower quality education for our children,” said Greta Doyle, a junior school teacher currently retraining as a preschool teacher.

—FELICITY COGGAN