Excerpts 

A group reviewing funding for the early childhood sector has been told to consider making trade-offs between the quality of early learning and its cost.

Associate education minister David Seymour on Tuesday announced the launch of a review of how the government funds early childhood education.

The review's terms of reference say an advisory group will provide advice on matters including how government funding could be structured to provide better participation, education outcomes, and labour market participation.

It would also advise on: "The balance between quality and affordability for services and parents/caregivers reflected in the funding system, including its contribution to an appropriate mix of minimum standards and quality inputs, such as adult-to-child ratios or proportions of qualified teachers."

The document said too high a cost restricted access to early childhood education.

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The document will fuel fears that regulations protecting the number of qualified teachers and their pay are under threat.

Currently, at least 50 percent of the teaching staff in licensed services must be qualified teachers and services receive higher rates of government subsidy if they have more teachers and if they agree to give their teachers pay parity with kindergarten and school teachers.

The government has watered down the pay parity requirements - last year removing any obligation to pay qualified relief teachers pay parity rates and this year allowing centres to pay newly-qualified teachers at the bottom step of the scale regardless of prior qualifications and experience.

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