Excerpts from media release:
The Australian Education Union has today, in Canberra, launched the report of a national inquiry into preschool education.
The national inquiry commissioned by the Australian Education Union has found that children across Australia are being denied access to quality, free, public preschool education.
Kathy Walker, the Independent Inquirer who conducted the National Inquiry on behalf of the AEU explained that the major finding in her report was a lack of consistency in the sector across the country. This inconsistency includes funding, child ratios, curriculum, costs, delivery hours and terminology.
AEU Federal President, Pat Byrne, said that a national under-resourcing of preschool education underpins many of the barriers that currently prevent universal access to high quality preschool education, resulting in 40,000 children missing out, including significant numbers of Indigenous children.
"It is widely recognised by parents, teachers and researchers that children who attend preschool have a better chance of succeeding at school and later in life."