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Let the Children Speak: Why Their Words Matter More Than Ours

Let the Children Speak: Why Their Words Matter More Than Ours

“I was watching the rain because it made me feel calm. I didn’t want to talk; I just wanted to listen to the drops.” This simple statement carries more than imagination—it holds intention, emotion, and agency. This article is a…
Unpaid Overtime in Early Childhood Education: Know Your Rights Under the Children’s Services Award

Unpaid Overtime in Early Childhood Education: Know Your Rights Under the Children’s Services Award

In early childhood services across Australia, educators are often expected to stay beyond their rostered hours to complete tasks—cleaning, documentation, ratio coverage, or closing duties. But when this extra time goes unpaid, it’s not just unfair—it may be unlawful.
Active Supervision vs In Ratio: Why Both Matter — But Aren’t the Same

Active Supervision vs In Ratio: Why Both Matter — But Aren’t the Same

In early childhood education, two terms often surface in compliance conversations: active supervision and in ratio. While both are essential to child safety and regulatory integrity, they serve distinct purposes—and conflating them can lead to serious oversights in practice. Let’s…
Q: Am I In Ratio If I Am Completing Other Tasks Within The Room?

Q: Am I In Ratio If I Am Completing Other Tasks Within The Room?

A: Legally, yes—an educator is considered “in ratio” as long as they are physically present and supervising the required number of children according to the age-based ratios set by the National Quality Framework (NQF). But practically? That’s where the system…
QIP Priorities for Early Childhood Services

QIP Priorities for Early Childhood Services

With new child safety regulations having just come into effect, here’s a sector-responsive list of Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) priorities that services across Australia should consider updating immediately. These priorities align with the National Quality Standard (NQS), recent regulatory changes,…
Q: Can I, As an Educator, Refuse to Work Alone?

Q: Can I, As an Educator, Refuse to Work Alone?

In early childhood education across Australia, the question of whether educators can refuse to work alone is no longer hypothetical—it’s urgent. With rising behavioural complexities, mounting workloads, and increasing safety concerns, educators are asking, "Do I have the right to…
Father’s Day in Early Childhood: Inclusive Celebrations That Honour All Families

Father’s Day in Early Childhood: Inclusive Celebrations That Honour All Families

Father’s Day offers a chance to celebrate love, care, and connection—but for children without fathers, it can also be a sensitive time. In early childhood settings, educators have a responsibility to ensure that celebrations are inclusive, emotionally safe, and reflective…
Educator-to-Child Ratios: A System Built for Profit, Not Quality Care

Educator-to-Child Ratios: A System Built for Profit, Not Quality Care

Across the early childhood education and care sector, educators are sounding the alarm: current staffing ratios are insufficient to deliver safe, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate care. While recent reforms have focused on mobile phone bans and child safety protocols, many…
Extending Mobile Phone Bans to Schools: A Call for Consistent Child Safeguarding

Extending Mobile Phone Bans to Schools: A Call for Consistent Child Safeguarding

As national reforms tighten mobile phone use in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings across Australia, educators are asking, "Why not apply similar protections in primary and secondary schools?"
How To Celebrate Early Childhood Educator's Day

How To Celebrate Early Childhood Educator's Day

Celebrating Early Childhood Educators Day is a beautiful opportunity to honour the heart and soul of early learning—those who nurture, guide, and inspire our youngest citizens. Here are some meaningful, creative, and sector-savvy ways to mark the occasion.
Blurbs For Wall Displays

Blurbs For Wall Displays

Using blurbs with wall displays in early childhood settings offers a powerful blend of pedagogical value, family engagement, and professional reflection. The following provides blurbs for a variety of activities. Each one is designed to celebrate children's learning, link to…
Q: Are We Allowed To Use Our Mobile Phones During Breaks?

Q: Are We Allowed To Use Our Mobile Phones During Breaks?

A: In early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings across Australia, mobile phone use by educators is now subject to strict national reforms aimed at safeguarding children’s well-being and ensuring professional presence.
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