ACECQA Newsletter Issue 6 2024

CEO foreword

Welcome to our last newsletter for 2024.

In our Spring issue, we focused on transitions - from home to early education, early education to school to outside school hours care, from one year level to the next – acknowledging that the fundamental role of teachers and educators is to prepare children and young people for every/any new step. Our lives are made up of endless new steps, even when we think we are following a routine: Heraclitus summed it up nicely, ‘You cannot step into the same river twice’.  

So, in this edition, we continue articles on transitions with a focus on children and young people with disability and additional needs, acknowledging this year’s International Day of People with Disability will be celebrated on 3 December.

As you would expect, we also talk about other celebrations in this edition. In planning for the end of the year, we have some questions for you so that your festivities are truly reflective of the voices of children, young people and their families. Are your children and young people already active citizens in making these plans? It is timely in the lead up to International Human Rights Day on 10 December – Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now – to consider what it actually means to empower children and young people to plan for, practise and be prepared to be part of a better future.

As always, we want to support you in your professional career, so we have included the latest news about the extension of 3 transitional provisions and the new process for applications for the Pre-primary School category for skilled migration. Of course, government decisions in respect of these reflect the ongoing challenges of meeting demand for teachers and educators in our growing sector. 

News from our latest Snapshot is also positive in the percentage of services Meeting or Exceeding the National Quality Standard. 

A few years ago, we commissioned research (Macquarie University research) on what we thought was an emerging pattern in service's rating results. We found a very strong link between performance in Quality Area 7 and other quality areas, particularly Quality Area 1. We should not have been surprised. It is true that, in every organisation, the quality of leadership has a profound effect on the successful achievement and sustainability of objectives and goals. In our own National Quality Standard, this point is well articulated:  

The aim of Quality Area 7 … is to support effective leadership and management of the service that contributes to quality environments for children’s learning and development. Well-documented policies and procedures, well-maintained records, shared values, clear direction and reflective practices enable the service to function as a learning community.

The learning community is dedicated to the development of professionals who aspire to and actively seek their own, and the service’s, continuous quality improvement so the 6 objectives of the NQF are achieved. Our role is to contribute to your learning community so you and your team can truly enrich the experiences of children and young people in your care. We trust our articles are of value. 

From everyone at ACECQA, we wish you a safe and happy end of the year, and hope you have an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family.  

Gabrielle Sinclair
ACECQA CEO