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Submission by Early Childhood Australia
Response to section 1: Preamble
Early Childhood Australia is an advocacy organisation for children birth to eight years of age. Early Childhood Australia (ECA) recognises that these Goals focus on the school sectors, but believes that it should respond to the draft document because the early years of children's 'education' in various settings create the preconditions for all subsequent learning. ECA notes that these Goals should converge with the proposed National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care.
ECA recognises that there have been significant shifts in global imperatives over the past ten years and accepts many of the priorities arising from these changes as outlined in the Preamble to the National Goals document.
In particular:
- ECA supports the view that global interdependence strengthens the need for tolerance and appreciation of difference and the development of a sense of global citizenship and a commitment to peace and to an equitable society.
- ECA has some concern about the phrase 'conflict resolution', believing that governments and education should commit to developing a more equitable society, which is more likely to operate with less 'conflict.'
- ECA agrees that complex environmental pressures call for Australians to engage with science and to solve problems in creative ways, but also (as stressed in the Adelaide Declaration) that 'Australians should accept stewardship and responsibility for the natural environment.'
- ECA agrees strongly that improved educational outcomes for Indigenous students must be a national priority, and that all students who are disadvantaged by factors such as socioeconomic, cultural, language and/or geographic circumstances should receive specific support to attain educational outcomes commensurate with their peers.
- ECA supports the document's assertion that parents play an important role in the learning of children and young people. Indigenous families play a particularly vital role in supporting their children at various phases of the education process, from preparation for school entry and positive experiences across transitions within schooling, through to retention into senior secondary and vocational education and training.
- Further, ECA reminds writers of the document that other 'first educators' play a significant role in the vital early years of children's lives. 'Parents' are mentioned late in the Preamble and currently there is no mention of the very significant impact of early childhood educators in childcare and early school settings.
- ECA agrees with the document's emphasis on 'intellectual, physical, social, moral, spiritual and aesthetic development' and on outcomes for students that include personal qualities of self-worth, dispositions to learn and optimism. ECA would add 'a disposition to connect to and care for one's fellow Australians'.
- The meaning of the expression 'the achievement of social and digital skills' is not entirely clear in the document. ECA would stress the importance of emotional, social and interpersonal capabilities and the need to build young people's creative and critical skills and their capacity to use new technologies in discerning and constructive ways for the benefit of societies.
Overall, ECA feels that the laudable emphasis in the Adelaide Declaration on 'the knowledge, understandings, skills and values for a productive life in an educated, just and open society is less evident in the current document. ECA feels strongly that a primary purpose of education is to contribute to a socially cohesive and culturally rich society that emphasises inclusivity, respect, compassion and care as well as productivity.
ECA refers to the National statement of principles and standards for more culturally inclusive schooling in the 21st Century (MCCTYA, 2000) which stresses the right of all Australians to an education that allows them a fair share of the social goods of education and supports socially just schooling free from negative forms of discrimination. The significance of Indigenous parents and families and the responsibility of education settings to work with them are also explicated in that document.
A number of these points are picked up in the subsequent Goals and elements of collaboration, but ECA suggests they should be brought forward in the Preamble.
Response to section 2: Educational goals for young Australians
ECA suggests that there is a slight over-emphasis on individualism and the economic imperative for improvement in educational outcomes, at the expense of collective responsibility, collaborative patterns of interaction and outcomes that stress the quality of family, social and civic life in Australia.
- For example, we would suggest: 'Confident individuals who value their own culture and that of others and have a sense of their place in Australian society and civic life'; and 'who are creative and productive and discerning users of technologies...'
- Active and informed citizens who 'act with moral and ethical judgement, integrity and responsibility…'
- In 'Promoting Equity', ECA applauds the section and its sentiments and suggests a small change: 'provide a framework for accelerating the achievement of equitable and appropriate learning outcomes for Indigenous Australians and other disadvantaged students.'
Response to section 3: A commitment to action
(a) ECA supports the need to develop stronger partnerships with parents. In particular, ECA emphasises 'the development of genuine partnerships, based on the principles of cross-cultural respect...'
(b) ECA strongly supports the need to strengthen early childhood education and adds that 'early childhood educators in all settings require the knowledge, skills, understandings, attitudes and leadership to maximise learning outcomes for young children.'
(c) ECA agrees that it is essential that children and young people and their families are supported across educational transitions. We refer to the work of Perry et al. (2006) for particular advice regarding successful transitions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
(d) ECA suggests that the title of this section become 'Improving the quality of teaching and educational leadership' to highlight the vital nature of educational leadership in early childhood, non-school settings and to encompass the roles of staff within schools, other than the Principal.
Further, ECA is concerned that the current emphasis on 'instruction' ignores the role of the child as an initiator of and active participant in their own learning and the role of the educator as guide and facilitator for learning. Contemporary theory suggests that young children learn through interactions, scaffolding and extension of concepts and skills, as well as through direct instruction.
However, ECA supports the document's commitment to developing and retaining a high quality 'educational' work force, supported by adequate pre-and in-service professional learning opportunities. ECA suggests that providing quality well-supported staff is particularly important in remote and Indigenous communities and particularly difficult to guarantee.
(e) ECA supports the need for students to develop a solid foundation upon which further learning can be built, including competence in literacy and numeracy, but also emotional health and social understandings and skills. ECA agrees that the disciplines offer the knowledge base for much of the formal curriculum, but suggests that the focus be on developing deep conceptual understandings and inquiry skills, so that knowledge can be applied and adapted to new contexts, problems and challenges.
ECA agrees that generic capabilities and multidisciplinary perspectives will be increasingly vital in a future world.
ECA agrees with the position formulated by Lorna Earl (2003) that assessment should include 'assessment for, as and of learning'.
(f) ECA affirms the commitment to improving educational outcomes for all children and young people through targeted support. ECA reminds the document's writers that supporting young children, families and early childhood educators in various settings demonstrates the best value for government investment in the future of Australia and its citizens.
(g) Accountability in relation to student outcomes clearly underpins strategic action and improvement. However, ECA notes that performance measures should include qualitative descriptions of the characteristics of successful settings, especially those in disadvantaged contexts, and appropriate support so that less effective settings can do better by their children, young people and families.
It is essential that accountability requirements for the school sector mesh with the proposed Quality Standards Framework for the Early Years.
ECA has provided a summary of its response to the draft National Goals on the Submission Form accompanying the comments above.
References
Earl, L. (2003). Thinking about purpose in classroom assessment: Assessment for, as and of learning. Canberra, ACT: Australian Curriculum Studies Association.
Perry, B., Dockett, S., Gilbert, S., Howard, P., Mason, T., Simpson, T., Skattebol, J., Whitton, D., & Woodrow, C. (2006). Successful transition programs from prior-to-school to school for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: Methodological considerations. Refereed Proceedings of the Australian Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, Sydney. Retrieved 16 October 2008, www.aare.edu.au/05pap/per05571.pdf
MCEETYA (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs). (2000). National statement of principles and standards for more culturally inclusive schooling in the 21st Century. Retrieved 16 October 2008, www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/principl_file.pdf
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