Education

Early Years
Direction
Reflecting the Bright Beginnings early years priorities in
the department's Learners First Strategy, the department
is committed to schools developing strong relationships
with parents and community services, including strategies
and programs that promote and support the importance
of the early years for children’s successful learning and
development. This commitment extends to supporting
education and care services to implement appropriate
strategies that reflect the same priorities. These priorities
are strengthened with the ongoing implementation of
the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) National Early
Childhood Development Strategy and the National Partnership
Agreements on Early Childhood Education.
There are ten child and family centres (CFCs), which are
funded and administered by the department, operating
around the state. Construction of nine of the centres is now
fully complete. In addition there are two Indigenous CFCs
funded through the COAG National Partnership Agreement
on Indigenous Early Childhood Development. Child and
family centres provide a holistic and cohesive approach to
supporting families and their young children.
The state government’s Launching into Learning initiative
began in 2006 as a four year, $12.6 million commitment to
families and young children aged from birth to four years.
In 2008, the government committed a further $4.25 million
in annual funding until 2013, and in 2012 an additional
$1.6 million was committed making this an annual
commitment of $5.85 million.
Education and care
The Education and Care Unit (ECU) is integral to
maintaining the provision of quality education and care in
Tasmania by:
• implementing nationally consistent regulation under
the National Partnership Agreement on the National
Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care,
including the Education and Care Services National Law
(Tasmania) 2011
• providing related support and advice regarding
the quality of early childhood education and care
and outside school hours care services to parents,
educators, carers and the general public
• communicating the importance of implementing the
approved learning frameworks, The Early Years Learning
Framework and the Framework for School Aged Care to
driving quality outcomes for children
• funding eligible services through specific programs
• participating, as applicable, in strategies to build a
skilled workforce
• providing a system of licensing under the
Child Care Act 2001.
The most significant issues continuing to affect the
education and care sector are the challenges associated
with the recruitment and retention of educators,
particularly qualified staff. The ECU is working with the
sector and the Minister’s Education and Care Advisory
Council to address this issue and has developed and
facilitated a number of strategies to increase the number
of qualified staff.
From 1 January 2012, the implementation of the COAG
National Quality Agenda has required a significant change
in roles and responsibilities for the ECU. The most
significant of these relate to the commencement of quality
assessment and rating of services from mid-2012 and the
need to operate within a nationally consistent framework,
which is overseen by the Australian Children’s Education
and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
Major Initiatives
Launching into
Learning (LiL)
The LiL initiative aims to:
• give Tasmania’s youngest children the best possible
start in life
• support parents as their child’s first and most
influential teacher
• reach families that find it hardest to access services
and those with the highest need.
LiL provides resources to all primary and combined
schools to develop and lead programs in their local
community to support young children and their families.
LiL aims to give Tasmania’s youngest children the best
possible start in life through support and intervention in
the years prior to Kindergarten, with a particular emphasis
on improving educational outcomes for children from
socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
There is a focus on young children’s learning across all
aspects of their development including early literacy
and numeracy, social and emotional development and
creativity. All schools use Belonging, Being and Becoming
– the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF)
to underpin planning. A statewide Early Years team
supports the development of consistent approaches
to implementing the EYLF and working in partnership
with families. In 2012, based on the principle of ‘ongoing
learning and reflective practice’ from the EYLF, the
Early Years team ran a professional learning program
that included support group programs and action
research projects, together with support for individuals
and schools. A total of 94% of schools engaged in two
core professional learning days.
24 Pre-Compulsory and Compulsory Education » Early Years