EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES (REGISTRATION AND STANDARDS) BILL

Committee Stage

In committee.

(Continued from 10 November 2011.)

Clause 1.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Given the hour, I propose to put on the record some answers to questions asked by the Hon. Ms Lensink in the second reading. To her first question, I can advise that it is understood that the Flinders University offers a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Arts, which is a double degree. This prepares graduates to become teachers of children from birth to eight years of age in a range of community settings. I am also advised that UniSA offers a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education which prepares graduates to become childcare professionals, preschool/kindergarten teachers and junior primary teachers and for work within related agencies, children's services or schools.

In relation to her second question, I am advised that Flinders commenced offering this qualification in 2007 and had their first graduates last year in 2010. UniSA has been running a four-year degree training people in birth to eight since 1995. UniSA also has another pre-service degree course which has been running since 2000. This is for those with a degree in another discipline who wish to move to working in education and care services.

In response to her third question, I am advised that last year Flinders University had 37 graduates, comprising 25 graduates from the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)/Bachelor of Arts courses and 12 graduates from the Masters of Teaching program which is a two-year intensive course of study for people with an existing qualification wanting to move into teaching in the early years. I am also advised that last year, UniSA had 125 graduates comprising approximately 100 graduates from the Early Childhood Bachelor degree and approximately 25 for those with an existing qualification in another discipline.

UniSA is also participating in a scholarship program to assist people working in child care to achieve a higher qualification. I am further advised that the Teachers Registration Board in 2010-11 issued provisional registration to 1,109 new teachers, the majority of whom we suppose would be new graduates. However, this figure is a total of all teachers, not just those with an early childhood qualification.

In response to her fourth question, I am advised that the 2010 childcare census return rate indicates that there are 220 teachers already working in the childcare sector out of a total 2,732 staff. This is an increase on the 2009 census, which indicated 182 teachers. The national modelling work undertaken to inform the National Regulatory Impact Statement concerning the National Quality Framework indicated that South Australia would have an oversupply of early childhood teachers by 2020. I am advised that this indicated that South Australia would require approximately 1,026 teachers and would have 1,395 available.

The Universal Access Scheme is about to provide 80 scholarships in 2012 to support the childcare sector to upskill teachers. Anecdotal evidence is that many centres are already supporting their diploma qualified staff to upskill. For example, UniSA reports an increasing number of diploma qualified experienced individuals enrolling in their degree course. We are advised that diploma qualified staff enrolling in a degree course can apply to the universities for credit. The National Quality Framework includes a workforce development strategy.

In response to her fifth and final question, I can advise that the government provides support for all sector training, and that includes the Health and Community Services Skills Board, which has been funded by the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, to conduct a 12-month workforce development project to support the state's achievement of new qualification requirements for staff of childcare services to meet the National Quality Standards for Early Childhood Education.

Nationally, the Workforce Development Fund (Building Australia's Future Workforce) provides $3 billion over six years and includes measures that target areas where workforce shortages exist. While not focusing specifically on the early childhood sector, it is anticipated that it should benefit the sector substantially.

In recognition that much of our ECEC workforce is skilled and experienced but without formal qualifications, I am advised that the commonwealth government has provided $9.2 million for a recognition of a Prior Learning Package to make it easier for early childhood workers to obtain or upgrade their qualifications. This includes the development of new national assessment tools for the certificate III diploma and advanced diploma, upskilling of assessors and grants to support workers in rural and remote areas to help with their expenses in undertaking recognition for prior learning processes. Additionally, there are existing commonwealth government initiatives, including:

Removal of TAFE fees from diplomas and advanced diplomas in children's services;

1,500 additional university places nationally for students wanting to undertake early childhood qualifications. As a result, South Australian universities have been allocated a total 110 places, comprising 25 masters degree places and 85 bachelor degree places; and

Reduction in the HECS/HELP debt for early childhood teachers who work in regional and remote areas or Indigenous communities and areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage.

Also, I am advised that the state government's User Choice policy has been changed to enable existing early childhood workers to access traineeships, which means that existing workers and their employers can access funding to subsidise the upskilling costs to certificate III and diploma levels.

Finally, I am advised that in South Australia the Skills For All reform is making the single greatest investment in the history of vocational education and training in South Australia. The South Australian government is investing $194 million to support an extra 100,000 training places over the next six years to ensure that SA can meet its skilled labour needs into the future. One component of this reform is a new Skills in the Workplace program designed to raise the skill levels of existing workers and address skill demands in key industry sectors.

That completes my answers to questions on notice given to us in the second reading. I propose that we report progress and come back to this bill tomorrow.

Progress reported; committee to sit again.