Reassessment data showing continuous improvement in Australia's education and care services
Australia’s education and care sector continues to grow and ongoing improvement is taking place under the National Quality Standard (NQS), according to new data released by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
ACECQA Chief Executive Officer Karen Curtis said the performance of services in reassessment was particularly pleasing, with two-thirds of services receiving a higher overall quality rating.
“With so many reassessed services receiving a higher rating, it shows the National Quality Framework is working as intended, driving quality and continuous improvement,” Ms Curtis said.
“This means that families with children entering education and care for the first time can know they are entering a sector that encourages services to improve their programs and practices, providing children with quality experiences early in life that can lead to better health, education and employment outcomes later in life.”
Highlights from the latest National Quality Framework (NQF) Snapshot include:
- 15 417 children’s education and care services operating across Australia
- 80% of these have received a quality rating
- 49 services have been rated Excellent by ACECQA
- 967 services have been reassessed, with 66% resulting in an improved overall quality rating.
“With 80% of services assessed and rated, we have a clearer understanding of which areas of the National Quality Standard that services find more challenging. ACECQA has worked with state and territory regulatory authorities to use this information to form the basis of our National Workshops, which have been attended by nearly 7000 educators across the country in the past two years,” Ms Curtis said.
An interactive online version of the NQF Snapshot is available for users to sort and search for information. ACECQA has also published on its website an Excel workbook with additional assessment and rating data for research purposes.
“This is part of ACECQA’s commitment to openness and transparency. I encourage people working in and with our sector to explore this data,” Ms Curtis said.
Families with children entering early education and care are encouraged to visit ACECQA’s family focused website, Starting Blocks, for information about assessment and rating and to search for education and care services in their local area.
This Snapshot is the 14th report on the NQF, and both the PDF and online version of the Snapshot are available here.