A report into the quality and safety of Australia’s early childhood education and care system. It provides an overview of the system and the regulatory framework, examines child safety issues, the effectiveness of the current regulatory system and funding of the sector. The report finds there are too many regulatory gaps. It provides 23 recommendations.

This final report of the committee’s inquiry considers the release of the OECD’s latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, and the first tranche of resources from the Australian Education Research Organisation’s 'Engaged Classrooms Through Effective Classroom Management' project.

This inquiry report recommends that state and territory governments explore more effective integration between education and healthcare services so schools can have timely access to student support services, including psychologists, social workers, and behaviour specialists, to help identify and manage disruptive behaviour.

This report provides background about the Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme (including the changes that came into effect on 1 July 2023) and its administration. It also explores participant views on the experiences and impacts of the Commonwealth PPL scheme.

A key recommendation from this inquiry is for the Australian Government to work with state and territory education authorities, and the non-government school sector, to develop and promote resources about 'school refusal', once a nationally agreed definition has been established, for parents, teachers and school leaders.