Charles Sturt University (CSU) has welcomed the announcement by the Rudd federal government of 35 new Commonwealth supported early childhood education places at the University in 2009.

 

Last week the Minister for Education, the Hon. Julia Gillard, MP, announced the increased places in the CSU Bachelor of Education (birth to 5 Years) will be available by distance education.

 

The University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, said the new places will help to meet the national demand for degree-qualified early childhood education teachers.

 

“This will increase the opportunities for students from inland Australia to study in this vitally important area without the need to relocate to metropolitan institutions for their studies,” he said.

 

Dean of the Faculty of Education at CSU, Professor Toni Downes, said early childhood education is a national priority area and the creation of the newly-funded places shows that the Government recognises the need to train and retain a high-quality early childhood education and care workforce, particularly in inland Australia.

 

“The new places will boost the early childhood workforce in the coming years because they complement the Government’s commitment to pay up to half the HECS-HELP debts of early childhood teachers working in regional and remote areas, Indigenous communities and areas of high disadvantage.”

 

Professor Downes said the CSU Bachelor of Education (birth to 5 Years) course aims to graduate effective future teachers able to work with children aged up to five years in a variety of educational settings.

 

“Our graduates will recognise the importance of the early years and the educator's role in children's lives, and have a balance between strong practical skills and a strong theoretical basis. The high quality of our graduates and our programs is underpinned by close cooperation and engagement with the professions and employers and our strong applied and strategic research programs,” she said.