Page 4848 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 25 October 2011
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By way of background, in December 2007 COAG agreed to a partnership between the Australian government and states and territories to pursue substantial reform. In 2009 COAG launched the national early childhood development strategy, with a shared vision that by 2020 all children would have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation.
All states and territories signed the national partnership agreement on the national quality agenda for early childhood education and care. This agreement committed all jurisdictions to implement the national quality framework. The national quality framework will deliver a higher quality standard of education and care for children in the critical areas of education, health, environments, relationships with children and partnerships with families and communities.
The national quality framework includes the national law, national regulations, national quality standard, the early years learning framework and the school age care framework known as My time, our place. Research shows that from birth to five years significant learning occurs. The national framework creates a regulatory framework which supports the research and places a priority on the importance of children’s development. The quality of education and care provided in the early years has a direct influence on a child’s brain development and will lay the foundations for life.
The national partnership agreement provides for an application of a national applied law across all jurisdictions. Victoria is the host of the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010, which was passed by the Victorian parliament in October 2010. In New South Wales, application of the applied law is through the Children (Education and Care Services National Law Application) Act 2010, which was passed by the New South Wales parliament in November last year. Other jurisdictions have progressed in a similar way to the ACT and will pass their bills in time for the 2012 commencement.
The Education and Care Services National Law (ACT) Bill 2011 was introduced into the Assembly in April. Government amendments to the bill have been identified to allow for a more seamless transition to the national quality framework. I would like to take some time to go through some of the amendments.
The first amendment is to facilitate the transition of ACT government preschools into the new system without individual preschools having to make applications for provider and service approvals. The second amendment is to permit a greater number of educators currently working in the education and care sector to obtain supervisor certificates. This will ensure education and care services are compliant with the national law from the date of commencement.
The third amendment will remove the provision for directors and senior teachers to automatically become declared nominated supervisors. The amendment will allow approved providers to ensure directors or senior teachers understand their responsibilities under the law and to consent to become nominated supervisors.
Furthermore, in response to the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety Scrutiny Report No 37, I have provided the Assembly with a revised Education
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