Week 5 Blog Assignment - 6162 - 7

Getting To Know Your International Contacts - Part 2

Joanne Lynch

Date: Saturday 6th April, 2013.

 

 

 

       On Wednesday 3rd April, 2013, I have received an email from Early Childhood Australia (ECA) WebWatch. ECAWebWatch #159 features available online resources. The main focus of this website is on: The best of early childhood news! Certainly, the numbers of early childhood education is rising, because on Sunday 31st March, 2013, there was a release on the latest Child Care Update, substantiating recorded number of Australian children attending early childhood education and care. Undoubtedly, $20.6 billion was directly spent by the Federal Government, with assisting in the early childhood field.

      However, Kate Ellis - The Early Childhood Minister, is certain that more can be done to guarantee the issue of accessibility is saluted. The childcare update report further stated that one quarter of children under the age of twelve in Australia are using the services of childcare. More than ever before in Australia, families are utilizing the childcare services, since the federal report claimed that nearly one million children nationwide are in approved centers. Likewise, the release verify that more than seven hundred thousand (700,000) families in fifteen thousand centers (15,000) were obtaining childcare services, while an additional twenty-two thousand, four hundred children acquire childcare in the year to June, 2012.

     Minister Kate Ellis postulated that what she has observed in the history of the nation is that more children are getting the opportunity to attend childcare in more services than ever before. She also posited that families in her country (Australia) are precisely acquiring attainment of a more adaptable, manageable, easy to reach childcare system of higher quality supports. Whereas, the increase in the workload is felt by early childhood educators who have to work long period of hours, so as to keep up with the National Quality Framework (NQF) regulations. An appraisal conducted by the Australian Education Union, claims that early childhood educators discovered that ninety percent endorse that the increase workloads were an issue, but one of the objectives of the NQF was to abridge the weight of directive in services.

     Additionally, information about issues of equity and excellence I have acquired from my international sources are:   (1) Megan Michelle is the new National Children's Commissioner in Australia. She has a five year term with the Human Rights Commission, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will be used to support her work.  (2) In spite of surplus funding from the Government, a latest study conducted by the Australia Institute has disclosed that families are still struggling with the cost of early childhood education. Consequently, an evaluation from the institute justifies that affordability is the most pressing matter to be discussed for families in Australia, while the government sought to address accessibility of childcare through more adjustable hours and quality through better wages for childcare workers.

 

 

Reference

Early Childhood Australia: The Australian early childhood advocacy organization.  http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/