Preschool education two years prior to Year 1

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(No Transcript)
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Independent national preschool inquiry
Background

• AEU discussion paper Towards a National Plan for
  preschool education 1998ongoing consultation
  and investigation
• AEU early childhood policy revised 2003
• Commonwealth Governments Towards a National
  Agenda for Early Childhood consultation
• cross portfolio, will not seek to alter existing
  Commonwealth state/territory roles

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AEU underpinning principles

• An active commitment to universal and equitable
  access to at least one year of high quality
  preschool education
• The Commonwealth, in partnership with the states
  and territories, must take a responsibility for
  funding and planning preschool education
• A national plan for preschool education, to be
  developed by the Commonwealth in partnership with
  the states and territories and other
  stakeholders
• Preschool education is a vital part of the
  education continuum.
• Early childhood education must recognise and
  affirm the cultural knowledge, language and
  values of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
  children and children from culturally diverse
  backgrounds.

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The role of the Commonwealth

• Commonwealth funding for preschool education was
  abolished in 1985.
• The Commonwealth contributes to all other sectors
  of education and largely funds childcare.
• There is no coherent national policy on preschool
  education, no national goals, and no consistent
  or coordinated strategies to ensure access.
• National data is incomplete and inconsistent.

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Differences between the systems

• Age of entry
• Departmental responsibility
• Names of programs
• Length of access
• Cost to parents
• Links to schools
• Links to other early childhood services eg child
  care, health
• Hours of attendance
• Maximum group size
• Teacher qualification requirements
• Salary parity
• Access and participation rates

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Who is responsible for preschool education?

• Staffed and funded by Education Departments, and
  part of or linked to schools in ACT, NT,
  Queensland, SA, Tasmania and WA.
• Funded by Community Services in NSW and Victoria.
  Provision largely by community, private, local
  government providers, with a small number in
  government schools. 100 DET preschools in NSW.
• Education departments also responsible for child
  care in SA, Tasmania and ACT.
• New links emerging between education and
  childcare and health in some systems.

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What is provided?

• On average, 10 12.5 hours of preschool
  education for 4 year olds (two years before Year
  1.)
• Queensland preschool one year prior to
• year 1, but fulltime prep. in 2006.
• 3 year olds also funded in NSW, Queensland, SA
  and ACT
• Early access in some systems eg. for Indigenous
  children, pre-entry program in SA.

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Age of entry into preschool and school
Department of Education and Training, Western
Australia, http//www.eddept.wa.edu.au/
November 2003. (modified)
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Participation in preschool education

• 253,400 4 year olds in Australia in 2002
• 83.5 of 4 year olds in preschool in year before
  school
• 27,704 3 year olds around 17 of all 3 year
  olds.

• 239,270 children in preschool education
• 193,809 Commonwealth approved long day
  care places for 0-4 year olds in 2002.

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Who is missing out?

• About 40,000 children missing out-- about 2400
  in NT
• Data is incomplete and unreliable
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
  (est. 13,000 3 4 year olds)
• Children from NESB
• Children with disabilities
• Children from rural and remote areas?
• Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds?
• Report on Government Services 2003

Are all who attend getting access to quality
provision?
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Cost to parents

• No national update on comparative costs
• NSW 2001 average 2.72 p.h. 2.06 for incomes
  less than 20,355 and 3.59 p.h. for incomes over
  40,975(Country Childrens Services survey)
• Victoria average about 140 per term or 1.40
  p.h.
• QLD free in state schools
• (avg. 12 p. day for younger children in C K,
  2.18 p.h.)
• TAS WA
• SA free or voluntary contribution ACT NT

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Funding of preschool education

• Total expenditure was 447.5m in 2002-03.
• Average country expenditure for 3yo is 0.4 of
  GDP. Most countries spend 0.4 to 0.6.
• Australia spends 0.1 of GDP.
• Australia is one of the 4 lowest spending out of
  35 countries.

Aust. average excludes WA Qld. Data includes
funded 3 year olds.
Report on Government Services 2003 OECD,
Education at a Glance 2002
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Independent national inquiry

• Underpinned by a commitment to equity and
  universal access
• Identification of barriers, challenges
  successes
• A focus on the role of states/territories and the
  Commonwealth in ensuring access
• Identification of initiatives
• Strategies to strengthen links between preschool,
  schools and other early childhood services.

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Inquiry process
Independent researcher Kathy Walker

• national forum October
• State/territory forums Nov.2003 March 2004
• Written and verbal submissions by 31 March
• Launch of report at national forum on May 25 2004

www.aeufederal.org.au/EC/Inquiry.html
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AEU position

• Universal, equitable access to at least
• one year of free preschool education
• Commonwealth to take a responsibility in
  partnership with states and territories
• Additional resources from Commonwealth to ensure
  equitable, universal access to high quality
  services
• National plan for preschool education goals,
  policy, minimum standards, strategies
• National structures advisory, research, national
  programs to be coordinated via DEST/MCEETYA
  linked to cross-portfolio structures
• Priority strategies to achieve participation of
  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children