QLd Kindergarten Program
The Village Early Learning Centre has received approval from the Minister for Education and Training to commence delivery of the Queensland Government’s Kindergarten Program.
We join our sister centre, The Village II Early Learning Centre, in the delivery of the Kindergarten Program. They were one of only 141 child care centres who were selected to pilot this program earlier this year.
Teacher Qualifications Required
Child Care Centres are in a unique position to deliver kindergarten programs while continuing to meet the child care needs of parents. Over 50% of Queensland’s kindy-age children attend child care, but only seven per cent are fortunate enough to be taking part in a kindergarten program delivered by a qualified teacher. To become a part of this pilot centres have to employ a qualified early childhood teacher to deliver the Kindergarten Program.
As our parents would know we have always had four year qualified early childhood teachers at both our centres. At The Village Miss Sharon (Saunders) has been delivering a quality play based educational program to our Pre-school children in order to prepare them for school and for life. Being an Early Childhood Teacher Miss Sharon is imminently qualified to prepare your child for school.
Hours of Operation
There are a multitude of combinations of times in which this program could be delivered but we have been very mindful that because of work commitments a number of our families may be restricted in being able to comply with those attendance times. We have therefore decided to offer this program from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm for two days per week, on any combination of days over Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays to allow maximum participation. This, of course, won’t prevent children from attending more than two days per week or for longer hours each day, however children would be expected to attend for a minimum of 9:00 am to 4:30 pm at least for the two days that they are enrolled in the Kindergarten Program which may only be a part of the number of days they attend each week.
Kindergarten Curriculum
Amendments to the Education (Queensland Studies Authority) Act 2002 have enabled the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) to develop, approve, purchase, revise and accredit kindergarten guidelines.
The QSA, the organisation that develops education syllabuses for Queensland schools, has developed the Queensland Learning Guideline (QLG) especially for the Kindergarten Program. The QLG sets clear expectations for children’s learning and age appropriate teaching and assessment practices, with a key focus on enhancing children's language, literacy and numeracy knowledge, and physical and social skills. The guidelines also emphasise the importance of play-based learning that is engaging and that builds success for life. These Learning Guidelines support a child’s transition to school and are aligned with the national Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) which we have implemented across all Rooms. The Kindergarten and Toddler Rooms will continue to deliver the EYLF which describes principles, practices and outcomes vital for young children’s learning whilst the Pre-school Room implements the QLG.
When can children attend?
Children need to have turned 4 years of age by 30 June in the year in which they participate in the program in order to qualify to participate. They need to participate for 15 hours per week for at least 40 weeks per year. That means they need to be at least 3½ years old on 1st January 2010 in order to participate in the Kindergarten Program this year.
Your child's participation in the kindergarten program will not affect your family's eligibility for Child Care Benefit (CCB). The fees for children participating in the kindergarten program will not be any different from those Pre-school children not participating.
We firmly believe that a child’s participation in a quality early childhood education program lays the foundation for their future success in learning and life. Children enjoy lifelong benefits from these foundations.
By 2014, the Queensland Government aims to have all children having access to such a high quality early education program, delivered by a qualified teacher, in the year before they start Prep.
Is the
Kindergarten Program compulsory?
The Kindergarten Program (as with Prep) is not compulsory but we
encourage families to enrol their children in the Kindergarten Program
and commit to their participation for at least the minimum hours
required because we know the benefits that quality early education
brings.
In Summary
§ Child must attend from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm a minimum of two days for forty (40) weeks of the year.
§ Parent/Caregiver needs to complete an Enrolment Application to participate in the program.
§ Child must have turned four (4) by 1st July in the year in which they participate in the program.
§ Child will be taught by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher using the Queensland Learning Guideline curriculum developed by the Queensland Studies Authority.
More information will be available soon....
FYI:
A report titled, Child Care and Early Education in Australia draws on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, which tracked almost 10,000 children and their families over two years from 2004, to find out detailed information about their lives and experiences.
A report released in January 2010 titled Child Care and Early Education in Australia finds that:
§ children who attended an early childhood program had better language skills than those who did not
§ high quality care is associated with gains in language and cognitive outcomes in toddlers and preschoolers
§ in groups where teachers were university qualified and more teacher-supported small-group activities were offered, children had higher pro-social behaviour and less problem behaviours
Child Care and Early Education in Australia, a report released in January 2010, was commissioned by the Dept of Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs and was written by a group of academics from Charles Sturt University, Macquarie University, Curtin University and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
Child Care and Early Education in Australia is available from www.fahcsia.gov.au (named Social Policy Research Paper 40).
