No evidence found to justify the higher English proficiency requirements for overseas trained early childhood teachers

ACA NSW continues to firmly believe in the promises of significant dividends from early childhood education and care in the spectrum of the Front Project (2 times), Nobel Laureate Professor James Heckman (8.6 times) and NSW Health (13 times).

But we have also been concerned for a very long time about the existing higher English proficiency requirements for (overseas) early childhood teachers, especially during the continuing labour shortages.

Ironically, even the English proficiency testing organisation's own data shows that more than two-thirds of native English speakers have been unable to achieve the above requirement.

Through freedom of information, ACA NSW was able to confirm that the NSW Department of Education has no documents to justify this higher requirement, let alone evidence of superior outcomes in children as a result of such imposition.

ACA NSW has written to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) seeking an urgent revision of its English proficiency requirement.

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

PUBLISHED: 8 APRIL 2025