30 MarNational Quality Framework Review – Workforce Issues
As we reported in ELAA’s last eNews, ACECQA is seeking feedback on the National Quality Framework. A Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (CRIS) has been prepared highlighting problems, potential solutions and the implications of these solutions. The key areas relevant to ELAA members are:
- Safety, health and wellbeing
- Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
- Workforce
- Understanding of quality ratings by families
- Changes in fees within the NQF system
- Oversight and governance of services and providers.
ELAA will be making a submission on behalf of members and is interested to hear your views. In this and the next editions of eNews, we will profile a particular aspect of the review. This edition we are focusing on workforce.
Workforce shortages remain an ongoing challenge for the sector. The CRIS notes that if an ECT is absent in the short term, they can be replaced by a diploma or primary teacher qualification holder for 60 days in a 12 month period. Options proposed include whether this flexibility should be extended to cover Diploma and Certificate III educators, and if it should be increased to 80 days.
Additionally, the CRIS notes that currently there is no time limit on how long educators can be actively working towards a qualification. Options proposed include setting a proportion of staff that must be qualified, setting time limits on how long educators can work towards and setting guidance or introducing thresholds around satisfactory progress.
How to contribute your views
To contribute your views about these options to the submission, please email Lisa Minchin, Specialist, Advocacy Solutions on LMinchin@elaa.org.au. You may also like to join an ELAA’s Submission Advisory Group meeting where the issues will be considered in more detail . To indicate your interest in attending, please contact Lisa.
