Reconciliation in Education: An Introduction, produced by Reconciliation Australia and Gilimbaa, provides an introduction to the concept and context of reconciliation in Australia and an overview of the important relationship between reconciliation and education.
In many early childhood settings, we celebrate children's creativity, imagination, and emotional expression—until gendered assumptions silently step in. A boy cradling a doll may still prompt side glances, teasing, or even misguided redirection. But it's time we call out this outdated thinking and reaffirm our professional responsibility: nurturing all children’s capacity for empathy, care, and meaningful connection.
A childcare centre on Sydney’s Upper North Shore has received an official regulatory warning after photographs surfaced showing toddlers with their mouths taped shut. According to the report by 7NEWS Sydney, the incident occurred during what staff described as a “breathing exercise.”
In homes and centres across the country, early childhood educators once viewed documentation as a treasure map—capturing the magical moments of play, thought, and connection that helped children grow. But today, many feel they are no longer tracing children’s journeys. They’re just ticking boxes.
On Monday, 4 August 2025, early childhood communities across Australia will come together to honour the strength, spirit and journeys of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children for National Children’s Day. The 2025 theme—Little Footsteps, Big Future—reflects the profound significance of culture, community, and Country in guiding each child’s path as they grow.
“Stay safe.”
“Stay clean.”
“Stay quiet.”
“Do it right.”
Individually, these phrases seem benign. But stacked together, they send a clear message: control comes first, curiosity second. And under that pressure, play shrinks.
Let’s be honest. Much of what limits children’s play isn’t about their needs—it’s about ours.
A recent report shared by 7NEWS Australia warns of a troubling trend: fewer Australian parents are reading to their children. While the headline sparks concern about declining literacy and emotional development, it risks overlooking a deeper reality—one that goes far beyond the bedtime book ritual.
The Australian childcare sector is reaching a critical tipping point, where delayed reforms and missed safety opportunities are placing children at unacceptable risk. As highlighted in recent coverage, Shadow Education Minister Jonathon Duniam has called on the federal government to act without delay, warning that “there is not a day to waste” when it comes to protecting our youngest citizens.
In our push to capture every moment under the EYLF, many educators find themselves swamped by paperwork rather than immersed in play. Observation records, plans, reflections, assessments—they grow faster than we can connect with each child. When every anecdote demands multiple frameworks and sign-offs, learning narratives can lose their heart. In today’s landscape, dominated by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), that balance has unraveled. The EYLF was meant to unify and elevate practice. Instead, we’ve watched it morph into an overwhelming checklist culture—where paperwork eclipses presence, and compliance overshadows connection. Somewhere along the way, a valuable framework was repurposed into a bureaucratic beast. So, educators, are we documenting learning or drowning in it?
***Warning—Distressing Content*** It’s a sentence we hear too often in our sector: “There was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation.” But what does that mean in practice? It means that children—many too young to articulate trauma—are systematically failed. It means perpetrators continue working with children because our system prioritizes procedural thresholds over child well-being.
In a world where classroom outcomes are often skewed by postcode, language background, or parental education, one early predictor quietly cuts through the noise: phoneme awareness. As Brady (2020) starkly highlights, this foundational skill outranks intelligence and socioeconomic status when forecasting reading success.
In a world where safeguarding begins with everyday interactions, teaching consent to toddlers and preschoolers isn’t just possible—it’s essential. Long before children understand the word “consent,” they can learn what it feels like to be respected, heard, and safe. These early lessons lay the foundation for lifelong boundaries, empathy, and self-worth.
