Independent Review called for NSW's Quality Rating & Breaches

After years of advocacy, the NSW Deputy Premier & Minister for Education and Early Learning (the Hon Prue Car MP) has called for an independent review of NSW's quality ratings and its unbelievable breaches. This review is to be led by the former NSW Deputy Ombudsman (Chris Wheeler).

As ACA NSW members would be aware, the unbelievable number of breaches that NSW early childhood education and care services were recorded to have does not make sense especially when compared to the number of enforcement actions that the NSW Regulatory Authority had taken.

Worse, NSW's total number of breaches have exceeded the combined number of breaches recorded across all other Australian states and territories for the last five consecutive years. 

Moreover, these unbelievable number of breaches also appear at odds with the national regulator's published statement that "91% services with a quality rating are Meeting National Quality Standards or above" (see ACECQA Snapshot (November 2024)).

It is worth remembering that the NSW Department of Education was concerned in September 2022 that 40% of children were not developmentally on track upon starting school. And in October 2022, the Federal Minister for Education inferred that 45% of children were not developmentally on track upon starting school.

NSW Deputy Premier Car's announcement was made on 25 February 2025 during the NSW Parliament's Budget Estimates (see the full video or download transcript).

ACA NSW looks forward to the progress and outcomes of this independent review. But more importantly, ACA NSW is cautiously awaiting meaningful reforms to the quality ratings process and how the NSW Department of Education will regulate NSW early childhood education and care services in the future.

For any further information/clarification, please contact the ACA NSW team via 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.

PUBLISHED: 27 FEBRUARY 2025