Background:
Australia is in the midst of a government inquiry into early childhood education and care. The Productivity Commission, the Australian Government's independent research and advisory body, is holding an inquiry "to examine and identify future options for a child care and early childhood learning system". The Commission has produced a draft report, and the public have been invited to make written submissions and to participate in further public hearings. The final report is scheduled for release in October 2014.
There has been a lot of reaction to the draft report's wide-ranging recommendations. The following are selection of the many media articles on the inquiry and its report.
- PC logic: Let market solve childcare market failure, Eva Cox, The Conversation, 29 July 2014
- Childcare benefit v paid parental leave: productivity commission has a winner, Guardian, 24 July 2014
- Good results for early learning, but the devil is in the detail, The Conversation, 22 July 2014
- Union slams childcare report, SBS, 22 July 2014
- Why women should have their paid parental leave scheme, and their childcare too, Daily Telegraph, 22 July 2014
- Abbott warned against "turbo-charging" "murky" childcare, Queensland Times, 22 July 2014
- Call for paid childcare for 'qualified' grandparents: productivity commission, Sydney Morning Herald, 22 July 2014
- Childcare reforms must not come at expense of quality: policy expert, Health Canal, 22 July 2014