On Tuesday 26 August the Institute of Early Childhood at Macquarie University will host an on-campus forum titled "Giving children the best start in life: a sector wide response to the Productivity Commission’s report on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning."
Senior Lecturer Dr Marianne Fenech set up the forum, and says: “When the report was first released the initial responses and concerns were very much around affordability for parents, which is an important issue.
“The key problem with that, however, was that the Commission has recommended a series of reforms that will effectively water down quality standards in early childhood education settings – with children missing out.”
To counter this, Fenech and colleagues from Macquarie University, the University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne, Charles Sturt University and Community Child Care Co-operative will share presentations on key areas of reform and their responses.
Hot topics to be discussed across the topics of ‘Children, Families, Workforce and Community’ include:
44 participants including academics, providers, peak organisations, and unions will be attending the Forum. A number of attendees have drafted a response submission to the Productivity Commission and will be discussing these recommendations throughout the day.
Tuesday, 26 August, 2014
8:30am-4:15pm
Macquarie University - Senate Room (Lincoln Building C8A 310)
For the full forum program or other queries, contact Marianne Fenech: marianne.fenech@mq.edu.au / 9850 9815
Senior Lecturer Dr Marianne Fenech set up the forum, and says: “When the report was first released the initial responses and concerns were very much around affordability for parents, which is an important issue.
“The key problem with that, however, was that the Commission has recommended a series of reforms that will effectively water down quality standards in early childhood education settings – with children missing out.”
To counter this, Fenech and colleagues from Macquarie University, the University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne, Charles Sturt University and Community Child Care Co-operative will share presentations on key areas of reform and their responses.
Hot topics to be discussed across the topics of ‘Children, Families, Workforce and Community’ include:
- To achieve nationally consistent standards does it matter if ratio and qualification requirements in the NQS are watered down?
- Do young children (Birth – 3 Years) really need more than Cert III qualified staff?
- How can we support equity of access and affordable quality early learning experiences for all children and families?
- How can we address longstanding workforce issues without watering down the NQF?
- What does seeing ECEC as community and for community mean for government ECEC investment and policy?
44 participants including academics, providers, peak organisations, and unions will be attending the Forum. A number of attendees have drafted a response submission to the Productivity Commission and will be discussing these recommendations throughout the day.
Tuesday, 26 August, 2014
8:30am-4:15pm
Macquarie University - Senate Room (Lincoln Building C8A 310)
For the full forum program or other queries, contact Marianne Fenech: marianne.fenech@mq.edu.au / 9850 9815
