Page 3786 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 22 November 2006
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into account. Research highlights the importance of high-quality and focused early childhood education programs that are accessible and supportive of children’s development in the early years.
Added to the new research is the knowledge of the social changes that have occurred in recent generations. Family structures and support needs have changed—significantly, in fact—and there has been an increase in work force participation and in the number of single-parent families. The increase in work force participation has also impacted on the demand for full-day childcare places.
This government, following a successful trial in selected preschools, has now rolled out 12 hours of preschool per week right across Canberra. This initiative has delivered greater choice and more affordability options for prior-to-school programs. It has enabled families who take the longer day preschool programs to use low-cost government preschools and release spaces at childcare centres to other families. This successful initiative will continue to deliver high-quality educational services responsive to the changing needs of the community, and it is important to realise that education is a service, not a building.
This government has proposed to further enhance the early years of schooling by offering Canberra’s families a number of specialist early childhood campuses, providing families with greater choice of models of education to allow families to best meet the needs of their child and their family. An early childhood school that incorporates a preschool program provides up to five years of continuous learning in one setting during the vital early years of learning and development. When early childhood schools are linked with before and after-school programs, this will further assist families to manage the demands of life in the 21st century by providing a stable environment for young children.
For teachers in the ACT the early childhood schools will also create further opportunities to specialise in early childhood education. Teachers will be encouraged to work towards further specialist qualifications in their area of interest and to share their professional knowledge and expertise with others. For families, the five years of continuous attendance at the one setting allows student relationships, friendships and networks to build, rather than the break that can sometimes occur in the transition from preschool to primary school. An example of an excellent early childhood model is the O’Connor cooperative school, which has been successfully operating for 30 years. The proposal for more early childhood schools is not new for the ACT education system; it is building on its strengths.
Easing the transition for children from preschool to primary school is also a key part of the Towards 2020 proposal. This is done by creating formal links between every preschool and the nearby primary school, either next door or links to a school in a nearby suburb. By 2008, if the proposal proceeds, every primary school will incorporate the preschool year. It is expected that this will lessen the need for add-on or transition programs like the excursion of the preschool student to the “big school”. Already, some of our preschools and schools are embracing this integration willingly by sharing resources and joint professional learning activities for teachers.
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