Early Childhood Inquiry to push national agenda

The Australian Education Union (AEU) is sponsoring an independent inquiry into the provision of universal access to high quality preschool education across Australia.

Underpinned by a commitment to equity and universal access, the inquiry will focus on the role of the states/territories and the Commonwealth in ensuring that all children in Australia have access to a high quality, free preschool education. It will identify the current facts and challenges and focus on initiatives that can move the national agenda towards the achievement of that objective.

The AEU has commissioned an independent researcher, Kathy Walker of RMIT University in Melbourne, to undertake the research.

Ms Walker has had extensive experience in education for more than 20 years. She works as a consultant with teachers, parents and other professionals across early childhood, primary, secondary and adult sectors.

Her publications include Teaming Up, a book for teachers on multi-age classrooms and curriculum and socialisation. Other publications include Putting children first and articles about philosophy and curriculum, children's development and social skills and play therapy.

In 1995 she won the University Teaching Award at Swinburne University and in 2001 the RMIT University Teaching Award for Student Centred Learning.

Terms of reference

The Inquiry will seek to ascertain and report on the views of stakeholders in relation to:

1. the degree to which Australia is successful in ensuring that all children in Australia have equitable access to a high quality free preschool education;
2. the current barriers that prevent all children from accessing preschool education and the challenges that need to be addressed;
3. the roles that the Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments should play in ensuring universal access to preschool education;
4. initiatives that would guarantee that all children do have access to a high quality preschool education;
5. strategies and arrangements that would strengthen the links between preschool education, early childhood education in schools and other early childhood services.

National and state and regional forums

Reference group

Other members of the Reference Group are still to be finalised.

Why an inquiry?

Recent consideration of a national agenda for early childhood has focussed on the need for a national approach involving collaboration and cooperation to ensure that Australian children get the best start in life. Early learning and care is one of the action areas in the framework. The national agenda framework under discussion began from a premise that "it will not seek to alter traditional areas of Commonwealth, state and territory responsibilities in early childhood".

There has been little specific national policy focus on preschool education since the abolition of Commonwealth funding for preschool education in the mid 1980s.

At the July 2003 Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) meeting, Ministers noted a report on the national agenda and agreed to consider the early years as a strategic priority when the structure of taskforces and working groups is reviewed in 2004.

It seems timely to focus on the degree to which Australia is currently successful in ensuring that all children have equitable access to a high quality free preschool education.

In that context, it is also useful to look at strategies and arrangements that would strengthen the links between preschool education, early childhood education in schools and other early childhood services.

Submissions

Addresses for submissions: Ms Kathy Walker, National Preschool Education Inquiry c/o AEU, Ground Floor, 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank Victoria 3006 or e-mail: preschoolinquiry@aeufederal.org.au.

Information sourced from the National Preschool Education inquiry website at www.aeufederal.org.au/Ec/inquiry.html.

For further information

October 2003 contents