Thrive by Five welcomes the Tasmanian Government’s Co-Design Process For Achieving Universal Three-Year-Old Preschool Across the State
4 March 2023 – Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five initiative has welcomed the Tasmanian Government’s establishment of a co-design process, involving key stakeholders such as parents and educators, to help inform the state’s path towards achieving universal three-year-old preschool.
Thrive by Five’s Director Jay Weatherill said engaging parents and educators in the policy making process will help ensure lived experience informs the reform and benefits for Tasmanian families and children can be maximised.
“This announcement is clear recognition by the Tasmanian Government of the critical importance of a high-quality education in the years before a child starts school.
“Universal three-year-old preschool will help thousands of Tasmanian children access the life changing benefits of high-quality early learning and care.
“It will also significantly alleviate cost concerns and pressures for hundreds of Tasmanian families, allowing them to have greater financial freedom and security.
“Through this collaborative approach, the Tasmania Government can help ensure that Tasmanian families and children are at the heart of the decision-making process and set this reform up for success.
“However, there is still opportunity for continued reform in Tasmania, particularly when it comes to the early childhood educator workforce.
“A crucial element for ensuring the success of early learning is early educators and currently there are workforce shortages in Tasmania, as there is in the rest of Australia. This must change.
“It is high time Governments across the country address the growing early childhood workforce crises and it starts by funding an immediate pay rise for all educators.
“Thrive by Five looks forward to working with all governments, including Tasmania, on continued reform of Australia’s early learning and childcare system,” he said.
