What will be the future benefits/outcomes that will be due to the new EYLF v2.0?

ACA NSW is overtly mindful of changes made upon the early childhood education and care sector, especially in the context of severe labour shortages and significant fatigue after almost 3 years of the COVID pandemic.

Hence, like the rest of the early childhood education and care sector, ACA NSW is studying the new Early Years Learning Framework version 2.0 2022. This new EYLF was announced on 23 January 2023 following the approval of all Education Ministers to update the national approved learning frameworks.

Given that ACECQA provided the mapping of the new EYLF to the V9 Australian Curriculum, ACA NSW has written to the NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning asking:

1. what are the Education Ministers’ projected improvements of early childhood education and care services in terms of Quality Area 1 – Educational Program and Practice and overall Quality Areas resulting from this updated learning framework; and
2. what are the Education Ministers’ projected measurable outcomes of and benefits for children aged 0 to 5 years old that would directly result from this updated learning framework.

As members would be aware, the NSW Department of Education in September 2022 and the Federal Minister for Education in October 2022 expressed concerns that 40%-45% (respectively) of children were not developmentally on track upon starting school.

So, how will this new EYLF positively and demonstrably change/improve the results of future Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) measures compared to the AEDC results of 2009-2021?

Similarly, what percentage increases of early childhood education and care services (in particular long daycare and preschool services) would achieve higher Quality Ratings, in particular in Quality Area 1 and their overall Quality Ratings, in the future?

ACA NSW has had an initial discussion and meeting with the NSW Department of Education's senior representatives who have confirmed that the EYLF and MTOP version 2 are to be familiarised in 2023. They may provide more information to be provided to the NSW sector on the impact of the updated EYLF and MTOP learning frameworks before their formal implementation in early 2024.

ACA NSW will continue to seek clarification from the NSW Government and the NSW Department of Education in anticipation of the full implementation of the EYLF and MTOP, including their consequences on services' future assessments and ratings. 

Should members need more information/clarification, please contact the ACA NSW team via 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.

UPDATED: 27 APRIL 2023

FIRST PUBLISHED: 14 FEBRUARY 2023