Providing universal access to preschool programs for all 3 year old children is an achievable and desirable policy goal for Australia.
With two thirds of 3 year olds accessing early education and care (ECEC) services, Australia already has the foundations of a universal preschool program. The challenge is to:
- Make sure all 3 year olds receive the ‘dose’ of high quality early learning through a dedicated preschool program that will have a sustained impact on their development
- Ensure the children currently missing out due to financial and non-financial barriers have the opportunity to participate.
What next?
The Mitchell Institute recommends that as an immediate and low-cost first step, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agree to commission a scoping study into 3 year preschool programs.
|
Key recommendation COAG should commission a scoping study into universal 3-year-old preschool programs for Australia. The study should be completed by the end of 2017 and should identify: · Delivery gaps and opportunities · Core process and structural quality elements · Strategies to address barriers to access for priority cohorts · Jurisdiction-specific implementation options · Improvements in data collection needed to track impact |
Fact sheets in this series
Preschool programs in New South Wales
Preschool programs in the Northern Territory
Kindergarten programs in Queensland
Preschool programs in South Australia
Kindergarten programs in Tasmania