At its meeting on 2 July 2009, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed major early childhood reforms, releasing the first national Early Childhood Development Strategy - Investing in the Early Years, and an Early Years Learning Framework.

·       The National Early Childhood Development Strategy aims to improve the health, safety, early learning and wellbeing of Australia’s children. It includes a guarantee that all 4 year olds will have access to 15 hours of pre-school education a school week by 2012 and an enhancement of the early years workforce. There are many other initiatives planned.

·       The Early Years Learning Framework is a national curriculum framework to guide early childhood educators in the delivery of quality early childhood education. It outlines five learning outcomes for children in programs for 0-5 year olds and a number of principles and practices which underpin them.  Copies are available online and DEEWR will soon be rolling it out across the country.

·       COAG has commenced a formal consultation process on the Regulation Impact Statement for the early childhood services and the National Quality Agenda. Sessions have already been held in Perth.

 

This very briefly summarises some of the most momentous changes that are about to occur in early childhood education in Australia in the last 50 years.