07 MarELAA presents at the Productivity Commission
Our CEO Andrew Cameron and Senior Advisor Noah Hurst attended a public hearing for the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) this week. At the beginning of their inquiry, ELAA met with the commissioners to give an overview of the barriers the sector currently faces. We have also published two submissions to help inform the commissioners of the identified barriers, and our evidence-based recommendations on how these could be progressed or amended.
During the hearing, Andrew and Noah spoke to five points that were covered our submissions:
- changing the Family Assistance Act to allow Preschools/Kindergarten’s to offer extended hours of care
- that an extension of the Activity Test is not enough; it’s removal will reduce barriers that Australian families face in accessing quality ECEC
- the importance of managing a market to bolster quality service delivery
- that a potential ECEC Commission will only be successful if its role is to streamline existing systems and build on the momentum of the sectors reform agenda
- that government co-investment in wages is essential for educators to be adequately remunerated.
These points created a healthy discussion with commissioners, with a common theme emerging: all changes should encourage flexibility and reduce pressures on services and families, without compromising on quality.
Once the Productivity Commission has concluded the public hearings, a final report with recommendations will be delivered to the Commonwealth Government. This report, paired with findings from the ACCC and other inquiries, will provide the Commonwealth with a comprehensive overview of how to achieve the much-needed changes to achieve a path to universal ECEC.
To read the Productivity Commission’s draft report CLICK HERE.
