Early Childhood Australia


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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue: Following the 2019 Budget, Early Childhood Australia examined sector-related announcements and what they mean for children as well as those who educate and care for them; the 2019 ECA Reconciliation Symposium program has been launched, along with opportunities for travel scholarships; and the Australian Educational Development Census released figures for 2018. Around the country, a new partnership between peak Aboriginal community organisations and the Federal Government is looking to support Closing the Gap reform; the University of Melbourne examined ways to retain early to mid-career teachers in the profession; and AITSL welcomed a new CEO. In international news, measles outbreaks are causing concerns in the United States, Australia and New Zealand; and a new report has linked infant temperament with subsequent obesity in young children. New resources include ACECQA’s Educational Leader Resource and a tool for self-assessing quality; and ARACY’s free election-themed webinars for children’s services professionals, to help them make sense of key policy issues. Finally, we wrap-up 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.


	Budget 2019

	Early Childhood Australia (ECA) had hoped the government would take note of expert advice recommending two days per week of early learning for all young children but a status quo Federal Budget has largely ignored young children and the early childhood education and care sector. Announcements include yet another one-year reprieve for preschool funding, and no additional investments in sector workforce or quality. We remain concerned about complexities of the new Child Care Subsidy and the activity test that sees some vulnerable families miss out. Click here for ECA’s Budget analysis and find ECA’s media release here.

Reconciliation Symposium

An exciting program featuring language and stories, tackling tokenism and Indigenous frameworks pedagogy has been announced for the 2019 ECA Reconciliation Symposium. Additional support through individual travel scholarships is also available to attend the symposium on 10 and 11 May in Melbourne. Click here for program details or to register.

2018 AEDC data

The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data for 2018 is now available. Nationally, the 2018 data shows a decrease in children’s level of vulnerability in one or more domain(s) from 22 per cent (in 2012 and 2015) to 21.7 per cent, with significant gains reported for children’s communication and general knowledge. View the AEDC results here.

New AITSL CEO

Mark Grant has been welcomed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Previously a teacher and school principal, Mark Grant has held numerous leadership positions across regional and state levels, and will continue AITSL’s role in furthering national teacher quality and school leadership.

ACECQA resources

An exciting week for ACECQA as it released the Educational Leader Resource, a collection of practical advice, research and case studies to support educational leaders and approved providers. ACECQA also launched a new self-assessment tool that will support approved providers in self-assessing quality and planning for quality improvements.

Examining policy

Need help deciphering election-speak? With media outlets speculating on the possibility of a Federal Election being called this week, ARACY has launched a series of free ‘election special’ webinars that examine policy priorities for children and young people. Featuring presenters from major organisations across the sector, each webinar runs for approximately one hour. To register, click here.

Closing the Gap agreement

Following the 2018 Closing the Gap report, federal, state and territory governments have partnered with the National Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (Coalition of Peaks)—around 40 community-controlled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies—to form a Joint Council. The Joint Council will guide Closing the Gap implementation over the next ten years. Find more information here.


	Practise what you teach

	One in five teachers leave within the first five years of entering the profession. New research from the University of Melbourne suggests that engaging teachers with their subject specialty may help solve the exodus. Supporting specialist early and mid-career teachers to practise their specialisation (e.g. art or science) can improve job satisfaction and retention. Read a summary of the study on The Conversation.


	Insights into baby temperament

	A new report links baby temperament and toddler obesity. According to the report, at-risk babies (whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy), and babies who need more soothing in the first few months, may develop obesity partly because of caregivers’ tendency to soothe babies with sugary drinks. Listen to the ABC Health report here or click here to read the full report. To find out how Australia has fared in tackling obesity and creating healthier food environments, read this government report.


	Measles outbreak

	As we reported earlier, World Health Organisation named vaccine hesitancy as a top threat to global health. Now, a measles outbreak is sweeping the United States (with quarterly figures for 2019 almost eclipsing the 2018 total). Closer to home, an outbreak on a recent flight between Christchurch and Melbourne triggered public safety warnings. Australia continues to take action, with another state parliament introducing ‘no jab, no play’ legislation.


	In state and territory news ...

	Domestic violence and education have been in the headlines of several Australian states. Western Australia introduced a Respectful Relationships Teaching Support Program to provide teachers with skills and support to teach students about healthy and positive relationships; an online survey and community forums throughout Queensland aim to develop a Sexual Violence Prevention Framework, following a huge uptake of a 24/7 Domestic Violence support line; in Victoria, reports state that more than half of the 227 recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Family Violence have been implemented, including Respectful Relationships education programs in more than 1000 Victorian schools. In other news, South Australia introduced a new ‘no jab no play’ bill into parliament, promising significant changes for early education and care services, if passed; following the New South Wales election, the state welcomed newly appointed Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, Sarah Mitchell—find information about her here and on the official NSW parliamentary page; Australian Capital Territory saw the launch of a new Carer Handbook to support kinship and foster carers; in Tasmania, nominations are now open for the ‘Together We Inspire’ Awards, which recognise exceptional government school employees; and finally, preschools across Northern Territory are sparking STEM skills through science games as part of a five-year ‘STEM in the NT strategy’.

Election action

Now is a crucial time to make sure the voices of early childhood advocates are heard by our local sitting members of parliament and candidates registering to contest seats. Help us show Federal Election candidates that #EarlyLearningMatters. Visit this page to find out easy actions you can take. Spread the word—now is the time to invite your friends and colleagues to join the campaign and make a difference.

Catch up

The latest posts on The Spoke feature educator perspectives on practice, new ideas and latest thinking on early childhood. You can catch up on the 2019 blog posts you might have missed, or read a new post analysing the Federal Budget and another with ideas for educators on reading aloud with children—plus find a few ECA quality-assured educator favourites to get you started.

New Check-Ins

The Be You website has been updated with six new events you can attend. These topics explore partnering with families, storytelling, next steps, critical incidents and planning for ‘whole learning community’ approach to professional learning. These new event topics are a starting point. Check-Ins are driven by your Be You questions. Why not start with Be You – your way?

Learning communities

Join an ECA Community of Practice for a vibrant eight-week online learning opportunity. The first Community of Practice examines the role of technology in early childhood education and care: terrific or terrible? Facilitated by Dr Kate Highfield, enrolments for the next program close Wednesday 10 April. Click here to register.

Nominate now

Know an exceptional early childhood professional? Early Childhood Australia is inviting nominations for the Barbara Creaser awards. Entries close 30 April 2019. ECA members can also suggest nominations to their Branch Committee for both the Barbara Creaser Memorial Lecture and the Barbara Creaser Young Advocate Award. You can find out more information here, including your branch contact.

Conference opportunity

Be a part of the 2019 ECA National Conference—one of the biggest early childhood conferences in Australia—and bring your team and organisation to the attention of early childhood educators, leaders and managers. We still have some exhibition booths and a range of sponsorship opportunities available.

Become an ECA Member today: Learn more

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www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au
webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au

ECA WebWatch—Issue 304, April 2019.

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