Room Ratios & Qualifications.

[sueyk]

Hi Im Sue.

I am just wondering. I have started at a new centre which has two rooms. 0-2year which has 12 children and another room 2-4years which has 16 children.

Can someone please clarify this for me.

Should the ratio per room have what teacher qualifications? is it right that as long as the Educators are under the same roof, meaning the entire centre that they dont have to been in the room all the time?

Hope this makes sense.

I was always under the impression you had to be in the room, not just under the same roof.

Please help, very frustrated Educators.

[fchaudari76]

http://deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood/o ... atios.html

this should be useful

ratios are nothing to do with quals though Group Leaders should be at least studying for their Diploma

usually 0-2 is a ratio of 1 educator to 4 children
2-3 ratio is 1:6
3-5 ratio 1:12 - if you are running a kindy program you MUST have a qualified teacher

even if ALL the children are in one room or outside the above ratios MUST be maintained so if you have 6 children outside - 5 aged 3 and 1 aged 1.5 you need one eduator for the 5 and 1 educator for the 1.5yr old so you need 2 people you cannot have 1 person for all 6 children, whereas before you could do a mixed age group ratio of 1:7

hope this makes sense

in your case if 0-2 has 12 children then they need 4 educators in that room and 2-4 3 educators depending on how many children were over 3 yrs (if 12 were 3 and over then you would need 2 staff)

[sueyk]

So if the director is classed as one of the educators in the room and she leaves to go to the office for a couple of hours should her position be covered over this time

[fchaudari76]

Yes if she steps out for a couple of hours she is no longer in the room and room ratios MUST be maintained at all times.
If she just went to the toilet etc thats ok but that is why when GLs and Assistants go on breaks & lunches someone steps into their position as ratios have to stay in accordance to keep it legal.
You cannot count someone from your room who is on lunch as a part of your ratios as they are not in the room.

I am a Director but I cannot just sit in my office and have a room with an assistant and count myself as the Group Leader of that room! If this is what is happening at your centre I would be concerned

[sueyk]

I thought so, she keeps telling us as long as we are all under the same roof its ok

[fchaudari76]

no it is not
it is illegal
either she is seriously misinformed or just does not care
i would print out the ratios link and give it to her if she is not sure of ratios and if she doesnt care I would be calling DOCS and reporting it

[sueyk]

so you need at least a diploma level in each room dont you?

[fchaudari76]

not necessarily
a Group Leader can be a Cert III studying towards her Diploma
personally ideally GLs should have their Diplomas

[sueyk]

Ok thanks thats great feed back thanks for that

Sue