It was a privilege to attend the Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra earlier this month, which hosted 142 delegates, including members of National Cabinet, the state and territory premiers and chief ministers, industry groups, unions, employers, community representatives and advocates. Over half the delegates were women and there was representation from First Nations peoples,…
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) was invited to participate in the federal government’s Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra from 1–2 September 2022 to represent the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. Ahead of the summit, we surveyed ECA members and the wider early childhood profession to seek people’s perspective on the most significant issues…
Child abuse and neglect reporting is challenging. No doubt about it. Challenging. The factors that make it challenging are very complex. Photo by Lizo Sonkwala on Unsplash Factors that influence professionals’ reporting practice can be personal and professional. These include things like thresholds for reporting (what child protection systems need for a report to be…
This article appeared in Every Child magazine Vol. 28, No.2, 2022 The home offers rich and authentic opportunities for play-based learning, Joanne Grimmond observes. Children’s formative experiences of play in the home lay the foundation for their later learning, and digital platforms, such as the new Play and Learn Together web-based resource, can be used to…
At a time of significant staff shortage and challenges in the early childhood sector, it is worth pausing to recognise the substantial contribution of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Every day, across Australia, hundreds of students under their trainer and assessor’s guidance are working towards Certificate III and Diploma qualifications. The image was…
Associate Professor Kym Simoncini shares research and findings ahead of her masterclass ‘STEM in the early years: We can all do STEM’ at the ECA National Conference from 5-8 October 2022. If you’re interested in seeing Kym present as part of the conference program, you can purchase a virtual ticket. The image was sourced from iStock.…
Imagine walking through your local nature trail and seeing a group of kindergarten children playing and exploring. Some are climbing a tree and playfully hanging on a branch. Some are jumping in puddles and splashing muddy water all over themselves. Some are squatting to look at insects, while others are collecting sticks and making ‘bonfires’.…
A Community of Practice (CoP) is best defined as a space for individuals to interact and learn from one another in partnership with an understanding of sharing knowledge. Engaging in a CoP will allow you to not only deepen your knowledge on a subject or topic area, but it will also allow you to network…
In part two of this blog series, we ask Dr Laura Jana about preparing children for success in the 21st century and what her hopes are for her keynote address at the upcoming ECA National Conference in October. If you missed part one, you can read it here. Dr Jana talks about her book, The…
Internationally recognised paediatrician, author and social entrepreneur Dr Laura Jana says early childhood is everybody’s business. She is on a mission to change the paradigm and the public conversation about the skills needed for success in the 21st century. Dr Jana spoke with ECA, ahead of her international keynote address at the 2022 ECA National Conference ‘Passion to…