Page 4844 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 25 October 2011
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The improvement of educator qualifications and child ratios will help ensure that the environment in which children are being educated and cared for is stimulating. An improved ratio and higher education requirements will improve the experience of educators as well. Educators will be able to focus more on their time spent with individual children, which will encourage positive relationships. Educators who experience greater job satisfaction will be more likely to remain in the sector.
As has been noted already, the education and care services national regulations establish the national quality standard. The standard is divided into seven quality areas: educational program and practice, children’s health and safety, physical environment, staffing arrangements, relationships with children, collaborative partnerships with families and communities, and leadership and service management. These quality areas dovetail very neatly with the areas of school improvement, which includes learning and teaching, student engagement, community engagement, and leading and managing.
Schools will use the existing school improvement processes of the school board report and the school strategic and operational plans to identify strengths and areas for improvement within their preschool units. The assessment and rating process is designed to allow for continuous improvement for education and care services. This will allow schools to focus on better practice for children. One of the main objectives for the assessment and ratings process is for parents and carers to be able to access information about the quality of their education and care facility.
ACT public school preschool units continue to remain fee free, as do all the years of education in public schools across the ACT with only a voluntary contribution being requested from families. I do note how this contrasts with the policy position of the New South Wales Liberal government as announced in their most recent budget. This is a fundamental principle for public school education in the ACT and ensures equity of opportunity for all.
As Minister Burch has noted, the legislation will be formally reviewed in 2014. As this is the first time that ACT public school preschool units will come under such legislation, it is critical for the ACT to provide advice as to the effectiveness of the law and if any amendments need to occur to achieve the objectives of a national quality framework.
The review will also consider the inclusion of those services that are currently out of scope. For the Education and Training Directorate, these services could include Koori preschool programs and the early childhood intervention programs. As Minister Burch has indicated, any amendments that come out of this national review process would be tabled in the Assembly.
The Education and Care Services National Law (ACT) Bill 2011 introduces a new national approach to regulating early childhood education and care services that for the first time includes ACT public school preschool units under a national regulation. I commend the legislation to the Assembly.
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