The Current State of the Australian Early Childhood Profession

This report examines the current state of the Australian early childhood profession, highlighting the characteristics, trends, policies, and challenges faced by early childhood educators. It explores the importance of high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for children's development and the role of government policies in supporting the profession. The report also discusses the need for ongoing professional development and the importance of addressing issues such as low salaries and the recognition of ECCE within the broader education system.

CURRENT STATE OF AUSTRALIAN
CHILDHOOD PROFESSION
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Early Childhood Professionals plays a vital role in improving and expanding the education
qualities for early childhood care. It has been associated with many challenges that produce,
retain and attract well-trained early childhood educators. A diverse range of complexities and
other trends and policies are presented with context to early childhood. The report begins by
highlighting the characteristics of the early childhood professionals. Illustration of policies and
emerging trends and challenges that are faced in the past decade has addressed to different
strategies taken by the Government. Effective government policies and strategies are adopted
in order to improve the working conditions of early childhood Professionals.
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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................4
FINDINGS.........................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................11
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INTRODUCTION
In Australia more than 9, 00,000 children attend the early childhood services (Schachter, 2015).
It is necessary for a child to attend those services for nurturing their cognitive skills in a
regulated way. In Australia, Early Childhood Educator is considered as one of the important
ways to explore working measure by supporting in the development stage of the children. A
professional involved formulates collaborative work and different disciplinary backgrounds
through an integrated field such as Early Childhood Profession.
Early childhood profession defines itself as serving children right from their birth to age of eight
years. Early years are the most crucial stage of the person’s life. The environmental aspects and
experiences have shaped the child over past years (Mindes & Jung, 2014). The role importance
of the early childhood profession plays a most significant role in accessing the future of the
children. This profession includes- Social Workers, Teachers, Day-care workers, Parent
Coordinators, Early Childhood consultants, Regional Administrators, Coaches and Educational
assistants along school administrators.
The recent research on the children’s knowledge has raised issues on early childhood educators
with regards to extent of early childhood programs. Professionals have incorporated that the
knowledge of the psychological understanding of the children and domain key competencies
which has to contribute to subsequent conceptual learning has been affected while practising
them.
An early childhood professional such as teachers shares their perspective on the acquisition of
knowledge in order to influence the knowledge of the predominant development of the
children. It can be underpinned by play-based programs (Slentz, 2017). The influence of Piaget’s
cognitive development theory helps in promoting the view of the children through interactive
measures with the physical environment. As the research focus on the profession as the
childhood educator it is necessary to incorporate the activities that are practised by the
teachers while serving the children. It involves collaborative work, use of ICT in the classroom
and other professionalism designs.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSION
Early childhood professionals are a diverse group with the range of reflecting the complexities
of the learning principles in the children's health and development. The prospects that relate to
the importance of the supporting learning and development are performed with a partnership
with the governmental policies (Slot, et al. 2015). Professionals related to Early childhood
benefits from learning professional opportunities which are provided by working with those
who expertise in another area. The areas that share their expertise in order to create
knowledge and ideas can help in meeting the learning and developmental needs of the
organisation.
The characteristics of the Early Childhood profession cover the following milestones to nourish
the future of the children. They are:
 It is necessary to address the learning competencies which support the activities like
physical development, social development, and behavioural development
 They must have an enduring tedious knowledge on controlling the situations
 They should have the drive to unlock every child’s door to learning and must be beyond
enthusiastic
 To nurture the child, it is necessary to have appropriate knowledge of growth and
development in the interaction level of the educators
 They must have a quality to take care to listen to a child with interpreting words and
actions that aids in child’s development (Dyment, et al. 2014)
 There communication skills i.e. verbal and non-verbal with child and other people must
be highly influencing. Early childhood profession must be skilled to communicate with
all people associated
 Must have the knowledge of nursing the child in case of injury or any other practices.
 Every child comes with unique personality and different ethnicities, culture and
traditions. Therefore, it is necessary to welcome them to the open and exciting learning
atmosphere
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INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND CONTEXT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
It has been experiencing that every professional childcare worker, primary teacher or
kindergarten has faced a political issue in Australia and most other places. The constant
approach to numerous issues in the western media of early nurturance is practised in the young
children (Curtis & Carter, 2014). The importance of consistently high-quality attachment
between caregiver and child are recognized through sharing a special bond right from birth. It
plays a pivotal role in brain development and enhancing cognitive skills of children.
Children those who are associated with the reflexive practices of Victorian Framework are
emphasized with the professional expectation. Thus, they are more diverted towards their
culture and respectful towards the responsive engagement and practices of their colleagues.
TRENDS, POLICIES AND MOVEMENTS WITHIN PROFESSION
The emerging trends of the early childhood profession may be experienced with a surge of
policy attention in the recent years. The policymakers set an equitably accessible range of
strengthening the foundations of lifelong learning for all children. Broadly used the framework
to support the Educators and providing the rights to children, respect to their families and
cultural other identified languages. This has set the cultural securities for the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Children in Australia and the documents which are to be followed are
made available to educators (Nutbrown & Clough, 2014). The trends that are essential for this
profession encounters with the minimization of the achievement gaps i.e. focus on the grade
points, standardised test scores are secondary. The ECE has funded this program in order to
support the educator and students in order to make them aware of the essential needs of the
individual. The importance of National Quality Standards (NQS) and National Quality
Framework (NQF) presents the qualitative way to assist the educator to handle children.
The Technical and Further Education (TAFE) NSW is one of the largest Australian’s vocational
education and training program under which network of educators are provided training
regarding the education level an early childhood carer must be acquainted. This vocational
education and training program is attributed to partial credit towards the certified courses
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under AQF level in the universities (Kerckaert, et al. 2015). Different standards are mentioned
by the government to support the educators and skill them with the required potential to
handle the child. Those standards are listed under Early Childhood Learning Framework (EYLF).
They set a National Quality Framework to enrich the children's learning and developmental
stage. Professionals must be aware of those standards under which certain practices must be
taken place.
Australia has high education performance regarding tackling system-level policies through
equity in education including school choice, continuous improvement measures. The
framework of early childhood professionals involves the support from families in respect to
embracing the cultural and linguistic diversification of the Victorian community and diverse
approaches to child rearing (Johnston & Nahmad-Williams, 2014). Effective practices are
followed by the childhood professionals in order to strengthen the child ongoing improvement.
In order to follow the profession as the Childhood Educator, it necessary to follow the
Australian Qualification Framework which presents education level a professional must possess.
The entrance to this profession occurs with the approaching the criteria of the TOEFL and other
certification courses must be practised.
The Australian government has involved a set of a provision in order to envelope the early
childhood sector. The issues that were faced by the professionals have sharpened them in
different ways. The policies and practices provide a discourse on handling a young child.
Dependencies and Vulnerabilities provide the formative phase to the lives of the people. It has
developed the political, economic and other social and educational interventions (Nutbrown &
Clough, 2014). Human rights perspectives can reframe the conventional approaches to theory
in respect to the dignity of the professionals and children’s.
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FINDINGS
An Early Childhood Educator helps in developing children and children with developmental
delays and disabilities. It is necessary for the early childhood educators to have a certification
level and graduate levels through which they can hold a Professional Elementary Certificate
prepare children for competitive measures.
It has been reported by Australian Government Department that the childcare occupations are
increasing strongly with the expected growth of 26.1 percent in the year 2016 (Whitebook, et
al. 2016). In the year 2016-17, there has been a record of 80% of people attracted towards early
childhood profession. Therefore, the government has benchmark the requirement as the
childhood educator. It is necessary for the professional to have an approved certificate III in
Early childhood Education and Care. Further, they must have knowledge of practical as well as
theoretical skills to develop the positive relationship children, early intervention services and
integrated child and family services. The ability to laugh at yourself is the pretty well way to in
dealing with emotions and cognition with the child. There are certain measures taken to
enhance the quality and improve the equity of access (De Melendez & Beck, 2018). Australia
has an average proportion of children attending the early childhood education and care (ECEC).
It has been experienced that around 53% of the children belonging to age group of 4 years in
the rural areas have the highest proportion of attending the preschool (Mindes & Jung, 2014).
Different frameworks were developed by the Council of Australian Government in order to
assist the educator in providing a young child with certain opportunities. Among them, EYLF, a
documented framework under which extend to enrich the child learning from birth to five years
are mentioned. It covers the Australian and State and Territory Governments (Whitebook, et al.
2016). The policies presented by the Australian government help in presenting the framework
which can accessible, accountable, affordable, social justice and sustainable for maintaining
changes in this sector. Long Day Care, MCEETYA, NESB, OECD and other governmental bodies
present their measures to appraise the profession of the early childhood. However, there has
been a major focus concerning with the quality of the early childhood professionals. To improve
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quality of teaching or professional attitude various simplistic solutions have been promulgated.
It is evident to counter the misinformed position of the educator as with the current
predominated use of Fair and Inclusive governmental policy (Curtis & Carter, 2014).
Many governments have tried to turn their attention to early childhood policy and service
provisions throughout. Among them, Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics (ECA) and
Victorian State Government has majorly examined the interacting forces that shape the public
policy to set the combination of political, expanding and interdisciplinary knowledge of reform
agenda. This has influenced the effectiveness of the early childhood programs and thus to those
Victorian Teachers (Slot, et al. 2015). To overcome those problems National Quality Framework
has been developed by the current Australian Government as to improve the quality, equity
and access to the early childhood services. This implication has proposed on the possibilities of
generating potential barriers and embrace on the opportunity to this profession and on young
children.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child, Early childhood educators in
Australia are offered lower salaries than teachers at another level this recognition of ECCE and
UNCRC with the teachers and educators have relatively deprived on low standards of living. This
can be improved through strengthening the human rights of all professionals. The variation in
cultural expectations and treatment of children can be customary practised through respect
and contravene the rights of the child (Gomez, et al. 2015). It has been typically observed that
educators those who provide services to the children are associated socio-economic and
psychosocial factors.
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CONCLUSION
The study provides the discussion of the complexities and issues arising in the cultural diversity
in the early years in context to the professionalism. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) can
present the inclusive measures to understand the critique notions of diversity and differences.
The research must be conducted for improving on-going practices for the people those who opt
for this profession. Certain universities must be provided with the Course of knowledge of
professionalism for Early Childhood. Further, the research regarding this prospect must be
documented and can be brought into practice through testing them. The discussion draws on
the international trends and rhetoric policies help in framing the critique notions of difference
and diversity.
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REFERENCES
Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2014). Designs for living and learning: Transforming early childhood
environments. Redleaf Press.
De Melendez, W. R., & Beck, V. (2018). Teaching young children in multicultural classrooms:
Issues, concepts, and strategies. Cengage Learning.
Dyment, J. E., Davis, J. M., Nailon, D., Emery, S., Getenet, S., McCrea, N., & Hill, A. (2014). The
impact of professional development on early childhood educators’ confidence, understanding
and knowledge of education for sustainability. Environmental Education Research, 20(5), 660-
679.
Gomez, R. E., Kagan, S. L., & Fox, E. A. (2015). Professional development of the early childhood
education teaching workforce in the United States: An overview. Professional Development in
Education, 41(2), 169-186.
Johnston, J., & Nahmad-Williams, L. (2014). Early childhood studies. Routledge.
Kerckaert, S., Vanderlinde, R., & van Braak, J. (2015). The role of ICT in early childhood
education: Scale development and research on ICT use and influencing factors. European Early
Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(2), 183-199.
Mindes, G., & Jung, L. A. (2014). Assessing young children. Pearson Higher Ed.
Nutbrown, C., & Clough, P. (2014). Early childhood education: History, philosophy and
experience. Sage.
Schachter, R. E. (2015). An analytic study of the professional development research in early
childhood education. Early Education and Development, 26(8), 1057-1085.
Slentz, K. (2017). Early childhood development and its variations. Routledge.
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Slot, P. L., Leseman, P. P., Verhagen, J., & Mulder, H. (2015). Associations between structural
quality aspects and process quality in Dutch early childhood education and care settings. Early
Childhood Research Quarterly, 33, 64-76.
Whitebook, M., McLean, C., & Austin, L. J. (2016). Early Childhood Workforce Index, 2016.
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California at Berkeley.
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