The celebration will invest $ 6 billion and $ 9 billion, respectively, to provide all children with 30 hours of play-based learning per week for the 12 months before primary school, the Government of New South Wales and Victoria. We welcomed the coordinated announcement by the State Government on Thursday. This is a promising sign of increasing public and political support for assessing the voices of our children and women and families.
There is clear evidence that quality early childhood education and care is likely to have lasting impact not only when children are present, but throughout their lives.
Investing in children is worth it
This investment in providing resources to children with play-based early childhood education opportunities can have a positive impact on their learning and development. The advantages are:
- Social and emotional well-being
- Cognitive development
- Communication and language development
- Physical development.
According to Australia’s Early Development Census (AEDC) 2022 data, 21% of children in New South Wales and 19% in Victoria are rated “vulnerable” in at least one development area. This week’s announcement is very important for children in the country. Go to school.
But beware of “schooling”
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), Australia’s mandatory national curriculum framework, states:
“Play-based learning is the context of learning for children to organize and understand the social world while actively engaging with people, things and expressions.”
Within the framework are:
“We have a particular focus on play-based learning. [that] We recognize the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and computing skills) and social and emotional development.
Children have the right to play. Care must be taken to ensure that this right is endorsed by the 30-hour weekly deployment of early childhood education.
Early childhood educators need to be completely familiar with the power of play. They need to be careful that this “play-based” approach does not result in a “schooling” of our early childhood education program. Guaranteeing the importance and value of play to parents is essential.
How does Australia compare to other countries?
Providing 30 hours of weekly access to early childhood education and care for all children is called universal access. It is considered the gold standard for early childhood service delivery.
In addition to the state government’s initiative, the newly elected federal government has commissioned a review of the Productivity Committee for Early Childhood Care and Education to support a universal 90% childcare subsidy. Quality and affordable early education and access to care are considered a fruitful investment in children.
Equity access in the Nordic countries is one of the reasons they are renowned as a global example of excellence in early childhood services. The 2017 UNICEF report on quality education ranked Finland first and Norway ninth. Australia was 39th out of 41 countries.
This suggests that Australia has a long way to go to reach the international standards used by UNICEF to determine if the program meets the needs of all preschoolers.
Kids still miss for years
Based on the Government of New South Wales and the Victoria State Government planning new free preschool years in 2030 and 2025, respectively, Australia is finally full-fledged and universal to excellent early childhood education and care. Are you on the road to achieving good access? Or does our slow approach pose other issues that can be a barrier to achieving a quality early learning experience for all children now and in the future? The extended deployment period means that many children may miss it.
Our children and parents are worth more than just promises. If it is truly universal access, it should be available free of charge to all children of all ages in the previous year of school.
Many important issues need to be considered before starting free preschool education. Factors such as fair attendance, meeting demand, and even distribution of availability are important for flexibility and choice.
The NSW State Government’s announcement included steps to provide better access. Fair access arrangements allow mothers and fathers to participate in the workforce equally. This means that parents can engage in fully paid work at the right time for their children and their paid work.
Don’t compromise on quality
Parents also need to maintain a focus on quality because they need to be confident that their children have quality education and care.
Sector resources should be carefully considered to protect free access during deployment. Recent reports on Norway emphasize that in order to maintain a quality play-based preschool program, it must be supported by:
- Clear values and principles
- Appropriate level of resources to ensure long-term viability
- Comprehensiveness
- A qualified, engaged and supported workforce.
However, there is already a shortage of qualified teachers in the field of early childhood education and care. The main reason is poor working conditions compared to elementary school teachers.
Participating in a quality play-based program 30 hours a week gives children the opportunity to grow and promote their growth. To achieve these achievements, it is imperative that newly announced initiatives truly provide resources for quality learning experiences and equitable opportunities.
If that happens, it will ensure that Australian children thrive in their childhood and make the transition to a seamless and positive school. And it will prepare them for the life we all want them to.
Wendy Boyd, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Southern Cross University Michelle M. Neumann, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, Literacy and Digital Technology, Southern Cross University
This article has been republished from Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Please read the original article.
