• Early childhood education advocates at Charles Sturt University endorse the Early Childhood Professorial Advisory Council (ECPAC) six-point plan to help fix Australia’s ‘broken’ childcare system
• They argue achieving social justice requires changes to attitudes, practices and policies
• Political will and commitment are needed to prioritise fixing the early learning system

Two early childhood education experts in the Children’s Voices Centre (CVC) at Charles Sturt University say achieving social justice for young children in early childhood education requires changes to attitudes, practices and policies.

Associate Professor Tamara Cumming and Associate Professor Kathy Cologon in the Children’s Voices Centre are also members of the newly formed Early Childhood Professorial Advisory Council (ECPAC). 

Speaking in support of ECPAC’s six-point action plan to help fix the country’s ‘broken’ childcare system, they said all children have the right to high quality learning and care experiences.

They cite Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires governments to ‘ … take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse’.

“Put simply, governments and society in general have an obligation to ensure that children are properly cared for and protected from violence, abuse and neglect by anyone who looks after them,” Professor Cumming said.

“As the six-point action plan from ECPAC explains, there is plenty of high quality Australian system-specific evidence now to help governments act on the clearly identified challenges to our early learning system.

“That evidence tells us that as much attention needs to be given to how systems can coordinate effectively between various funding and regulatory bodies, as to the approaches that are being used to address specific local challenges.

“Political will and commitment are needed to make fixing the early learning system a priority.”

When it comes to early learning, Professor Cologon said there are particular challenges for children and families who experience disability, children who live in out of home care and/or in regional and remote areas.

“It is especially important that all action taken ensures systems and practices are inclusive of children and families who are often marginalised in our societies, such as children and families who experience disability, and children who live in out-of-home care,” Professor Cologon said.

“Achieving social justice requires changes to attitudes, practices and policies. Charles Sturt’s CVC supports this agenda through interdisciplinary research that aims to transform systems as well as practices.”

The Children’s Voices Centre conducts world-leading interdisciplinary research that amplifies the voices of children in regional Australia and across the world. The CVC focuses on children’s communication, learning, health and development, advancing research and advocacy that empowers regional communities, informs policy, and shapes inclusive practices with global impact.