Celebrations. To do, or not to do? Is it even that simple? Early childhood educators are often faced with ongoing internal discussions, rules, policies or expectations about how national celebrations such as Christmas and Easter are marked. In an early childhood context, celebrations such as Easter are often a reflection of our society, history, culture…
As Australia’s early learning sector continues to grow, its benefit to young children as well as to future prospects of the Australian economy are increasingly being recognised, both by the government and the general community. Despite this political and cultural shift, the early learning sector is facing a recruitment challenge—we know there is a serious…
Rolled out more than ten years ago and a key element of the National Quality Framework, the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) has had an enormous positive impact on early childhood education in Australia. The review process, which is now underway, provides a valuable opportunity for the framework to be refined in line with recent…
There’s no doubt that professional learning is essential for educators. It provides opportunities to share, network, set and achieve goals within the early education space, and it is inherently linked to quality outcomes for children. But how do you make a commitment to professional learning and make it a priority? Here are five tips to…
Less doing means more listening More listening means deeper understanding Deeper understanding means authentic connections Authentic connections mean stronger relationships Stronger relationships mean deeper respect Deeper respect means genuine bonds Genuine bonds mean children being, becoming, belonging! This inspiring quote comes from second year Bachelor of Early Childhood Education students at Victoria University (VU) (Melbourne) after completing their professional placement in…
A commitment to social justice means taking responsibility for working individually and collectively to ensure that everyone has meaningful opportunities to participate in the economic, social, cultural, communal and political life of the nation. The year 2020 was challenging. We experienced devastating bushfires and the COVID-19 crisis, and there are still ongoing issues related to living,…
Each year ECA prepares a pre-budget submission for the Commonwealth Government to ensure the views of the early childhood education and care sector can be incorporated into the Budget process. In late November 2020, the Assistant Treasurer called for submissions from individuals, businesses and community groups on their priorities for the 2021-22 budget. The 2020…
Women scientists have played a large part in researching the COVID-19 virus and in testing and developing the vaccine to combat it. Their efforts have been recognised in the theme of this year’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science: ‘Women scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19’. Each year the global…
As educators, we talk about fostering a sense of belonging and identity within our services and communities—one way we do this is through the use of photo displays. Reflecting on this in relation to how we display images of ourselves, our educator teams, and the children and families within the service, I wonder what impact…
Each year hundreds of Australians receive Australia Day Honours for the outstanding service and contributions they make to everyday life in Australia. This year, three notable Australians, The Honourable Jay Weatherill, Megan Mitchell and Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney, were honoured for their contributions to early childhood education. The Honourable Jay Weatherill, AO, received his Officer of…