Early Childhood Education and Care Quality Reforms

The IEUA has recently made submissions to the Early Childhood Development Steering Committee on Early Childhood Education and Care Quality Reforms based on an broad consultation with IEU members in the early childhood sector.

[to read the full submission click here]

COAG Consultation

In July 2009, the Early Childhood Development Steering Committee released the Regulation Impact Statement for Early Childhood Education and Care Quality Reforms which made proposals for a national set of quality standards and regulations for the sector.  The draft document made recommendations on child: adult ratios, staff qualifications - in particular access to qualified teachers, and ratings to form  part of an overall proposed National Standard for the sector.

IEUA RESPONSE

National Standards

The IEUA recognises the current national issues associated with inconsistent quality standards, duplication of regulatory effort and insufficient information to parents and supports in general, the development of a consistent level of quality standards which would ensure the consistent access to quality early childhood education and care.

However, within the submission, the IEUA emphasised the importance of ensuring that an integrated set of quality standards did not minimise the existing state/territory standards in order for them to be applicable nationally and to a variety of services.

In particular the IEUA called for a system which recognised and maintained regulations within States where they were currently higher standards than those proposed.

Proposals regarding Qualifications of Staff

The IEUA believes that quality early childhood education is provided only through tertiary qualified and registered teachers supported by qualified early childhood teacher assistants and childcare workers.

In the submission, the IEUA supported the recommendation in relation to requirements for Certificate III and Diploma qualifications for staff as one part of the mechanism to delivering quality early childhood education. 

Further recommendations were made in regard to the forms of assistance to those in rural/remote and indigenous areas such as fee subsidies including travel and accommodation expenses, greater access to online professional development, and course fee scholarships/subsidies for targeted remote and indigenous communities where access to qualified and trained early childhood staff has been identified as an issue.

Proposals regarding Qualified Teachers

The IEUA welcomed the introduction of a quality standard which sought to standardise the requirements to employ qualified early childhood education teachers. 

However, the proposed ratios of qualified teacher to children enrolled were not accepted as sufficient for the delivery of quality education.

The submission made particular recommendations for further increases to qualified teacher:child ratios, the removal of pay disparity and a review of current funding structures to cover the cost of employing qualified staff at comparable salaries, access to ongoing professional development and the purchasing of resources to care for and educate children thus ensuring equity of access to early childhood education and care.