Recognising and Acknowledging Complexity Report

Recognising and Acknowledging Complexity: Informing the inclusion of early years educators’ work in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Research has clearly stated the need for specialised, degree qualified educators to work with young children in prior-to-school settings.

The Effective Provision of Preschool Education study[EPPE,] (Sylva et al 2004), found that having highly qualified teachers is one of the most influential factors linked to better outcomes in literacy and social development at age 5, and having a high proportion of trained teachers tend to promote better intellectual outcomes.

Recognising and Acknowledging Complexity: Informing the inclusion of early years educators’ work in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, a report by early childhood consultant, Dr Gerry Mulhearn, outlines reasons for the inclusion of early years teachers in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).

With increasing numbers of teachers working in early years settings and actively engaging with curriculum and pedagogy, it is crucial that their practice in the context of the settings in which they work is recognised in the APST at all levels of the standards.

A revised APST is an opportunity to bring together the diverse perspectives and methods of early childhood education and care (ECEC) and school education while focussing on the strengths of both approaches and assisting to bridge institutional divisions.

You can read the full report here.