School age decision means a better start
More children will have access to quality early learning,
IMAGINE a modern day early education and care centre.
In one room, children are playing matching games and puzzles, which support fine-motor and memory skills.
In another room, an early educator is reading a story to a small group of children, a story which supports language development and early literacy. Outdoors, children are playing a game supervised by another trained educator, which encourages large-motor development and social skills.
These are just some of the play-based learning experiences preserved for all Tasmanian children with the State Government decision to retain the current school starting age.
More children, particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged children, will have access to quality early learning through the “Working Together for 3 Year Olds” initiative.
Early Childhood Education and Care services are assessed against the National Quality Standard, thus supporting improved health and educational outcomes.
With Tasmania above the national average on the percentage of services that meet National Quality Framework, we are well placed to provide quality education and care.
In Australia, research shows a strong correlation between socio-economic status and developmental vulnerability at the start of school.
The Australian Early Development Census indicates that one in five children start school developmentally vulnerable. This increases to two in five for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
In a country that values education and has the resources to invest in the early years, we can, and should, do more to overcome disadvantage.
This is why the Tasmanian Government initiative is so important in addressing the findings. It demonstrates strong leadership and builds on other programs developed in the state.
Early learning for children three years and younger has not been a primary focus of governments, other than to facilitate workforce participation.
Commonwealth Government childcare assistance has been structured on the basis of parental choice and eligibility, rather than how it can best promote the educational and developmental benefits for children that come with participation in early learning.
Working Together for 3 Year Olds provides access to quality early childhood education and care that is performing about national levels and is one step in the right direction.
In 2016, 56 per cent of three-year-olds in Tasmania attended Commonwealth childcare subsidy approved early childhood education and care. This is lower than the national average of 62 per cent but we must acknowledge the early learning initiatives in our state such as Launch into Learning, Child and Family Centres and LIFT, which broadens the access data.
Tasmania is well placed to lead the nation with innovative and flexible models of education and care for young children and address the inequities that exist, as highlighted in the State of Early Learning Report in Australia 2017. All children regardless of demographic or socio-economic status should have access to quality education and care.
The benefits extend to the whole society. International studies show that when children attend quality early learning, they are more likely to succeed at school, and have better social and emotional outcomes and become good citizens.
Our children are the future and all levels of government are now more aware of the benefits of quality early learning for children and society.
In Tasmania, every day, Early Childhood Australia looks after more than 23,000 children from almost 16,000 families in 387 services.
More can be done, and must be done, to provide programs that support children in the most critical period of their development. Jo Walsh is president of Early Childhood Australia (Tasmania).