THRIVE BY FIVE WELCOMES SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EARLY LEARNING ROYAL COMMISSION
11 February 2024 – Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five campaign has welcomed the South Australian government’s commitment to implement all of the recommendations of the state’s Royal Commission into early childhood education and care.
Key commitments include the roll-out of universal three-year-old preschool across South Australia and improving early learning access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children [1].
Thrive By Five’s Jay Weatherill said the South Australian government’s commitment to act on all the recommendations – whether by direct state investment and reform or by innovative alternative approaches – would improve the state’s early learning system and provide vital support to South Australian families and children.
“As well as taking on the ambitious task of implementing all of the Royal Commission’s recommendations, it is encouraging to see the state government has committed to lead the national conversation on early learning reforms by advocating to the Federal Government for change wherever it is needed,” Mr Weatherill said.
“Expanding preschool access by rolling out universal three-year-old preschool and strengthening the state’s early learning workforce are ambitious reforms which will have a lasting positive impact.”
“They will also help boost workforce productivity by enabling primary carers, who are predominantly women, to re-enter the workforce, should they choose to do so.”
“These reforms will help ensure that thousands more South Australian children benefit from the life-long positive impacts of high-quality early learning and care, and we hope it will have a flow-on effect of driving national change.”
“We congratulate Premier Peter Malinauskas and Education, Training and Skills Minister Blair Boyer for their commitment and look forward to working with the South Australian government.”
“And we strongly encourage other states and the Federal Government to follow this lead in the national push for an affordable, accessible and high-quality early learning system for all Australian children.”
Thrive by Five’s South Australian Alliance, a group of over a dozen organisations, launched its Action Plan for the early years last year [2] and has been advocating for the state government to undertake bold early learning reforms.
The South Australian government has committed to many of the Alliance’s asks in their response to the Royal Commission.
Brad Chilcott, convenor of the Thrive by Five South Australian Alliance said; “We are delighted to see that the South Australian government has committed to many of the key reforms the alliance members have been calling for.
“These reforms will make a real difference in the lives of South Australian families and children and welcome the state government’s commitment to ensuring they are delivered.”
[1] Response to Early Learning Royal Commission – South Australian Government
[2] Children’s Advocates Join Together To Launch New Early Years Action Plan For South Australia
Media contact: Iona Salter (Essential Media), 0413 185 634
