Early Childhood Australia


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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue: ECA has released a Statement on young children and digital technologies to help educators navigate the use of digital technologies with young children; a UNSW study compared STEM grades of boys and girls around the world; and the Federal Government's Expert Panel has released its report on the implementation of teacher registration framework. Around the country, a National Summit will explore more ways to reduce violence against women and their children; Sleep Awareness Week begins on 1 October; ECA invites readers to undertake a survey about our current publications; My Health Record opt-out period has been extended; the Guide to the National Quality Framework will be updated by the end of September; a free course starting 15 October will provide practical ways to bring young children and older adults together to share, learn and have fun; access to last year's CCMS records closes on 30 September and after that providers will need to apply to the department to make changes to session reports. And finally, we fill you in on the latest state and territory news.

Jump down to find out what the various ECA teams and projects have been up to and the new resources available for the early childhood sector.

Publications: Have your say

ECA is inviting readers, members and professionals from the early childhood sector to undertake a survey about our current publications . Your input will help us ensure that we bring out valuable, relevant resources for the sector. The survey includes the opportunity to submit your interest in writing or reviewing for Early Childhood Australia.

National teacher registration

The government's Expert Panel, appointed to undertake the national review into teacher registration, has released its report One Teaching Profession: Teacher Registration in Australia. The report makes 17 recommendations ‘to achieve a stronger teaching profession and better outcomes for children and young people across Australia’.

Summit to reduce violence

Reducing violence against women and their children through prevention, response and recovery will be the key themes of the National Summit to be held in Adelaide from 2–3 October. It will inform the development of the Fourth Action Plan 'Turning the Corner'. Find more information about the summit here.

Sleep Awareness Week

The Sleep Health Foundation turns its attention to the role of caffeine during Sleep Awareness Week (1 to 7 October). Caffeine occurs naturally in foods commonly consumed by children and adults. Click here to learn more. ECA has also released new sleep resources. Find more information here.

Study on STEM grades

A new study by UNSW compared academic grades of 1.6 million students, showing that girls and boys perform very similarly in STEM. The analysis casts doubt on the reasons given for fewer women in STEM-related jobs. The study compared gender differences in variation of academic grades of students aged six through to university from all over the world.

My Health Record options

The government has extended the period during which individuals and families can learn about the online digital health record, and decide whether to opt in or out of it. You now have until 15 November to tell the government that you do not want a record created. Click here to learn more. Or you can go directly to the government’s My Health Record website.

ECA guide: children and technology

ECA has released a new practical resource for educators to help them navigate the use of digital technologies with young children. The Statement on young children and digital technologies provides advice in four areas: Relationships; Health and wellbeing; Citizenship; Play and pedagogy. Click here to read the full statement.

Guide to NQF update

The Guide to the National Quality Framework will be updated at the end of September. These updates will reflect changes to the National Law and Regulations in Western Australia from 1 October, and clarify some other guidance. The updated PDF will be available on ACECQA's website.

Free online course

TOY (Together Young and Old) is offering a free online course on intergenerational practice that will provide practical ways to bring young children and older adults together to share, learn and have fun. Course begins 15 October. Click here for more information.


	Final access to CCMS records

	Early childhood services providers will have received an email from the government referring to the transition to a new Child Care Subsidy System and the closure of access to the old Child Care Management System. Providers have been able to make amendments to session reports from last financial year but this closes on 30 September 2018. After this deadline, providers will need to apply to the department to make changes, with approval only given in exceptional circumstances. Click here for more information or contact the CCMS Helpdesk on 1300 667 276 or email: ccmshelpdesk@education.gov.au.


	In state and territory news ...

	The inaugural Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Child Protection Awards recognised several Aboriginal child protection community organisations in the state; hundreds of new preschool places will be delivered across NSW thanks to a $6 million grant to improve preschool infrastructure; 26 South Australian schools have been trialling the new version of the PEACE Pack to tackle bullying in primary schools; the Tasmanian government recently announced its largest-ever recruitment drive for government schools, aiming to employ an extra 250 teachers over the next six years; an additional seven schools in Western Australia will offer a successful specialist learning program for students with autism spectrum disorder from 2019; the Northern Territory Labor Government is investing in a permanent child protection presence in Ali Curung, with a Child Protection Practitioner and a Senior Aboriginal Community Worker now living and working in the region four days a week; and the Victorian Government will allocate $500 000 from the Community Support Fund to refurbish and upgrade the Kalparrin Early Childhood Intervention Service in Greensborough.

New package

Developed by Early Childhood Australia (ECA) and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), three online learning modules examine the importance of sleep to overall health, wellbeing, learning and development of infants and children, in line with the introduction of safe sleep and rest practices. Learn more about them here.

Feedback survey

Did you take part in the Early Learning Matters Week? Did your service post a photo of an early learning activity on Instagram or Facebook, or did a politician visit your service? We would love your feedback through this quick survey. Be a voice for all children and help them access quality early learning: join the campaign here.

Free online resource

If you missed the KidsMatter team at the ECA Conference ... you can still download the ‘Learning on Country’ resource we were giving away here or read about the benefits of starting KidsMatter. By registering your early learning service or school, you will be ready to launch into the National Education Initiative.

Subscribe to ECA today!

ECA has four core publications available as subscription packages for those working, studying or interested in the early childhood sector: Research in Practice Series; Everyday Learning Series; Every Child magazine; Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. Click here to subscribe today!

New post

In our latest blog posts, Karen Szydlik, the Professional Learning Coordinator with Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange (REAIE), reflects on her first encounter with the Reggio Emilia project. And a post on sleep by Professor Harriet Hiscock kickstarts Sleep Awareness Week for ECA. Read the posts here.

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who made the 2018 ECA National Conference in Sydney last week such a huge success. And congratulations to all our award winners as well. ECA Events team will be in touch with all participants shortly. In the meantime, thank you for participating. Click here to learn more about taking part in future ECA Events.

Become an ECA Member today: Learn more

Subscribe to ECA publications today: Learn more

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Early Childhood Australia disclaimer
The opinions expressed in the articles and external links are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Early Childhood Australia.

ECA WebWatch—Issue 293, September 2018.