Early Learning Monitor 2021

THE EARLY LEARNING
MONITOR 2021.

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What Australia thinks about early learning.

The Early Learning Monitor is a national survey conducted by Essential Research on behalf of Thrive by Five. This research aims to understand how everyday Australians and parents think the early learning system currently works, how it impacts children into adulthood and how important this issue is to their vote. The research surveyed n=4,527 Australians over 18 years old, regardless of whether they had children or not. For more information about how we conducted this research and to read the methodology click here.

72% support a universal high-quality early childhood education and care system

Support is higher among participants with university level education (78% support), outer metropolitan residents (75%) and participants on higher incomes (76%).

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70% agree cheaper early childhood education would be good for the economy

Agreement is higher among parents with children under school-age (83% agree), parents of children with disability (81%), 18-34 year olds (75%), participants with university level education (75%), participants on higher incomes (73%) and women (71%).

78% agree early learning should be treated as part of the education system

Agreement is higher among parents of children attending centre-based daycare (88% agree), parents with children under school-age (84%), parents of children with disability (83%) and participants with university level education (81%).

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69% of parents with children attending centre-based daycare say improving early childhood education and care is extremely or very important to their voting in Federal elections

In the general population 46% of people agree this is extremely or very important to their voting in Federal elections. This issue is higher with parents of children with disabilities (60%), 18-34 year olds (53%), women (48%) and  inner metropolitan residents (48%).

Click to expand for more detailed breakdowns

Support for universal high-quality early childhood education and care system

Cheaper early childhood education would be beneficial to the economy

Early learning should be treated as part of the education system

Importance of improving early learning education and care to Federal vote

Belief that many families don’t send their children to early childhood education and care or limit how long they send them, because of the cost

Belief that children who attend daycare or preschool at a centre will often have more opportunities for play-based learning than those who do not

Belief that children who have not been exposed to play-based learning between the ages of zero to five either start school behind, or are not ready to learn

DOWNLOAD THE REPORTS 2021

 

DOWNLOAD STATE-FOCUSED REPORTS 2021

Northern Territory* Western Australia Australian Capital Territory* New South Wales South Australia Victoria Queensland Tasmania*

Due to small sample size

We do not have a report for
NT, Tasmania and ACT

*Data not available due to small sample size.

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