More than three-quarters of children’s education and care services assessed under the National Quality Framework (NQF) have a quality rating, according to new data released by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. ACECQA Chief Executive Officer Karen Curtis said this was a significant achievement for the national assessment and rating system, with the...

This Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) has been prepared by the Ministry of Education (the Ministry). This RIS provides an analysis of options for establishing an enduring strategic direction for early childhood services and schools. It forms part of a group of four RISs that recommend linked regulatory changes to set the strategic direction for the...

The Australian government has increasingly recognised the importance of quality early childhood education (ECE) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, as noted in a variety of policy documents such as the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Closing the Gap targets of the Rudd government in 2008, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan...

There is a mismatch between investment and opportunity in early childhood policy in Australia. The early years are a critical window for building foundations that enable all children to become creative, entrepreneurial, resilient and capable learners. Yet current policy settings are not meeting the needs of the children who stand to benefit most.

The Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) trial, which commenced in 2015, has been formally evaluated by Deloitte Access Economics. The evaluation shows that the trial has been a success, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from educators and parents. Key outcomes from the report are: The trial has been successful in meeting its stated objectives of providing...