Early Childhood Education and Care
FACT SHEET 3 Quality Standards EC Colb5094md
KEY ISSUES National Quality Standards increase workload pressure on Directors, Teachers and Assistants National Quality Standards place further burden on kindergarten resources
ACTION Complete the response form attached to the latest briefing
05/07/2010
BACKGROUND: In December 2009, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to a new National Quality Framework (NQF) for early childhood education and care and outside school hours care. The NQF will be implemented progressively from 1 July 2010. A significant part of the NQF is the National Quality Standard (NQS). It is divided into seven areas: 1. Educational program and practice; 2. Children’s health and safety; 3. Physical environment; 4. Staffing arrangements (including the number of staff looking after children); 5. Relationships with children; 6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities; and 7. Leadership and service management. The changes will be put in place in a step by step approach. The first changes start in July 2010 during a transition phase where services will begin to undergo assessment against the new National Quality Standard. From 1 January 2012, all services will be assessed against the new National Quality Standard. The new National Quality Framework will be in place by 1 January 2012, with changes to staff-to-child ratios and qualifications being phased in over a number of years.
IMPLICATIONS FOR COMMUNITY KINDERGARTENS:
CONTACTS IEUA-QNT Phone: (07) 3839 7020 Fax: (07) 3839 7021 Freecall: 1800 177 937 Email Enquiries: enquiries@qieu.asn.au Internet: www.qieu.asn.au
Implementation of NQS – Key Dates: July 2010 New ratings system assessed for all Child Care Benefit services 1 Jan 2012 National system for regulation of quality for ALL early childhood services Regulated through NCAC 1:4 ratio of care for 0-24 months in long day care 1 Jan 2014 New staff qualification requirements in place Teacher requirements in place 1 Jan 2016 New NQS fully operational Staff : Child ratios (1:11 for kindy’s) Staff qualifications completed. These changes will all put further pressure on the resources available to community kindergartens and on the workload of Directors, Teachers and Assistants. For further information visit: Office of Childhood Education and Care: http://education.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood/