|
It is too risky to leave the work of building a high-quality early childhood care and education system to just individuals, lobby groups or even governments on their own. The issues are ours, as a community, and we must all do what we can to be part of building the best possible system for our children.
As a national union of workers, including childcare practitioners, the LHMU understands our role in the childcare sector as a member of a diverse community striving to deliver the best opportunities and experiences for our children, families, workers, childcare providers and the nation.
|
|
It's a big challenge with significant obstacles, and we understand that to deliver on it requires hard work over many years. But there is no other way. For too long we have settled for piecemeal solutions to the issues of providing quality child care. And for too long we have avoided taking on the fundamental reforms necessary for us to deliver quality care and education to all children, and create the well-paid, professional jobs needed to achieve this.
The LHMU's Big Steps in Childcare campaign will make these reforms reality by developing a shared agenda for change with organisations like Early Childhood Australia, and taking concerted action to put this agenda to work.
|
20 June 2008 marked a very significant milestone in Australian early childhood education and care. It was the day that LHMU launched Big Steps in Childcare, with Julia Gillard. This Deputy Prime Minister's support for the campaign is indicative that Australia finally has a government committed to reforming our care and education services for young children.
The Australian Government has committed to providing universal preschool programs for all four-year-olds and integrating care and education to create 21st century children's services. Key to achieving this will be delivering on three fronts: skills, staff–child ratios and funding. Over the coming months we'll say more on ratios and funding, but the first big step we need to take is to build our skills base in the long day care sector.
|
We know that quality preschool programs need to be teacher-led. We also know that in long day care, early childhood teachers are rare. That is why it is crucial to recognise and expand the skills of the existing long day care workforce, so that quality education and care programs can be delivered to four-year-olds, and birth to three-year-old children.
|
LHMU believes there should be mandatory entry-level qualifications in early childhood services – currently only the case in one state. Recognition of prior experience and support to access vocational and higher education will be crucial to ensuring we increase teacher numbers in long day care sustainably. Recognition of prior experience and opportunities for further learning need to be as flexible as possible to ensure maximum accessibility and take up among the existing early childhood workforce.
|
We need reforms that will ultimately also address the issues of underpay, unrealistic workloads, high staff turnover and staff shortages currently chronic to the long day care sector. Big steps are needed. These goals are too big for any single player to deliver but, acting together, we can make them a reality.
|
Partners in the Big Steps in Childcare campaign include:
- Early Childhood Australia
- The National Association of Community Based Children's Services
- The Child Services Policy Taskforce
- Sydney University Workplace Research Centre
- ABC Learning
- The Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council.
Reforming Australia's early childhood system will be a struggle, but the future will be incredibly exciting as we take these big steps.
Louise Tarrant
National Secretary
LHMU
Every Child magazine – vol. 14 no. 3, 2008, p. 3
Don't forget, Every Child is tax deductible for early childhood professionals
You can purchase this issue of Every Child magazine now.
If you liked this article, you can 'social bookmark' it with others who might be searching for good content on early childhood. This means you can share your favourite webpages with others, or just keep an online list of your bookmarks so you can access them on any computer.
Read more about social bookmarks
|
|
