AUSTRALIA’S EARLY LEARNING SYSTEM NEEDS REFORM.
The size of a child’s brain reaches 90 per cent of an adult’s by the age of five. Early childhood is a time of rapid change – particularly for the development of a child’s brain. These early years are critical for lifelong learning and well-being. Talking, reading, playing and singing with babies and toddlers is so important in shaping thinking and emotional patterns for life and influencing learning, relationships and resilience.
However, the importance of this development and learning process has been ignored by decision-makers who continue to treat our early ...
AUSTRALIA’S EARLY LEARNING SYSTEM NEEDS REFORM.
The size of a child’s brain reaches 90 per cent of an adult’s by the age of five. Early childhood is a time of rapid change – particularly for the development of a child’s brain. These early years are critical for lifelong learning and well-being. Talking, reading, playing and singing with babies and toddlers is so important in shaping thinking and emotional patterns for life and influencing learning, relationships and resilience.
However, the importance of this development and learning process has been ignored by decision-makers who continue to treat our early learning and childcare system as a child-minding service for parents returning to work. It’s time the value of play-based learning is recognised by making Australia’s early learning and childcare system high-quality, universally accessible and attached to our public education system so that every child can benefit.
Sign the petition for affordable, high-quality early learning & care.
From the moment we're born to when we reach 5 years of age, we're learning faster than at any other time in our lives.
Which is why these first 5 years are so important for a child's development. Singing, reading, practicing sharing, making friends. These are all of the things that help us learn through play. If we get to do lots of these things before we start primary school, it will help prepare us for our life-long learning journeys.
But right now, 22% of children start school developmentally vulnerable – which means so many kids are starting off behind, and it makes it hard for them to catch up.
That's why every family should be able to access early learning and care. It needs to be affordable, high quality and fully resourced, so that every child can learn, through play, the skills they need to prepare them for school and life.
Will you sign the petition now, calling on our Federal and State Governments to make early learning affordable, high quality and fully resourced - so that every child can Thrive by Five?