Page 4843 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 25 October 2011
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critical step forward for preschool education in the ACT, as it recognised that children in the year before kindergarten were capable of and benefited from sustained learning periods. It also supported families being able to improve the work-life balance.
This legacy left the ACT in a position to be able to implement another of the COAG initiatives—universal access for 15 hours of preschool education. Currently we have 16 public preschools delivering 15 hours of preschool education across the ACT. In 2012, a further 28 schools will deliver 15 hours of preschool education, with the remaining 20 schools commencing at the beginning of our centenary year, 2013.
This further increase has proved to be popular with families and children across the territory and reflects the changing needs of families in managing work and family commitments. The ACT is taking a leading role in the implementation of these initiatives. The Education and Training Directorate, working with the Community Services Directorate, has been on the front foot in responding to changes that will be required under the education and care services national law.
This bill allows for the seamless inclusion of our government preschools within the new framework. Provision has been made for preschools, like other education and care services, to transition into the new system with provider and service approvals that are ongoing. As with all other education and care services, the Education and Training Directorate will be spared the regulatory burden of having to complete new applications for approvals.
As Minister Burch noted, the regulations will include some changes to the current child ratios and qualification requirements for teachers and assistants. ACT public preschool units will be required to move to a ratio of one educator to 11 children from January 2016 from the current ratio of two educators to a maximum of 25 children. This change has already been implemented in schools where the preschool unit is delivering universal access to 15 hours of preschool education.
Other public preschool units will move to the new ratio of one educator to 11 children from the beginning of 2013. Again, as noted by Minister Burch, from January 2014 all educators will be required to hold, or to be actively working towards, a certificate III in children’s services and 50 per cent of educators will be required to hold or be actively working towards a diploma level qualification.
Mr Speaker, last year the ACT government invested $215,000 in certificate III in children’s services qualifications for all interested assistants in ACT public preschool units. It was pleasing to see that 117 preschool assistants successfully completed a certificate III in children’s services through this initiative. The completion of a certificate III in children’s services is an important step as an early childhood educator. A further 18 assistants have commenced a certificate III in children’s services through traineeships this year.
Preschool assistants facilitate opportunities for young children to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world, to develop a sense of belonging and to engage in learning that is rich in wonder and awe. That so many of our assistants took up, and were successful in gaining, the qualification and continue to take up this opportunity is testament to their professionalism and dedication.
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