The Contract Cheating Crisis Undermining Early Childhood Education

In New South Wales, a disturbing trend is emerging: early childhood education students are paying thousands of dollars for contract cheating services—outsourcing assignments to third parties, often via encrypted platforms like WhatsApp. Some are reportedly using these fraudulent qualifications to fast-track visa approvals and bypass the very training meant to prepare them to support, nurture, and educate our youngest citizens.

This isn’t just academic dishonesty. It’s a direct threat to child safety, sector integrity, and public trust.

The Cost of Cutting Corners

Early childhood education is not a box-ticking exercise. It demands rigorous training, trauma-informed practice, and a deep understanding of child development, safeguarding, and cultural inclusivity. When students buy their way into the profession, they aren’t just skipping coursework—they’re skipping the foundational learning that ensures every child is safe, supported, and able to thrive.

As Georgie Dent, CEO of The Parenthood, rightly stated:

“Most parents would reasonably expect that the educators they leave their children in the care of are suitably qualified and appropriately supported.”

And yet, recent reports of abuse and misconduct in childcare settings make it clear: we cannot afford to ignore this.

A System That Can Be Gamed

The cheating scandal reveals a deeper systemic flaw. The pathway to becoming an early childhood educator—particularly for international students—can be gamed. With government funding fueling rapid expansion of childcare centres, regulatory oversight has failed to keep pace. Visa-linked training pathways, while intended to address workforce shortages, are now being exploited.

As one commenter put it:

“Why would we want people who simply want a visa working in our childcare centres?”

This isn’t xenophobia—it’s a call for accountability. The vast majority of international students are hardworking and committed. But when loopholes allow a minority to bypass training, it puts children, families, and fellow educators at risk.

Unfair to the 99%

This crisis is also a slap in the face to the 99% of educators who have earned their qualifications through dedication, study, and lived experience. These professionals don’t just work with children—they enrich their lives. They deserve a system that upholds their standards, not one that dilutes them.

What Needs to Change

To restore trust and protect children, we must:

• Strengthen compliance checks across RTOs and training providers.
• Enforce academic integrity policies with real consequences for contract cheating.
• Reform visa-linked pathways to ensure qualifications are earned, not bought.
• Support whistleblowers who expose misconduct within training and care settings.
• Invest in educator well-being and supervision standards, so quality is never compromised.

A Call to Action

This isn’t just a scandal—it’s a wake-up call. If we want a sector that truly safeguards children, we must demand integrity at every level—from training to practice, from policy to enforcement.

Because every child deserves an educator who is not only qualified but also worthy of their trust.

Further Reading 

Fraudulent and Improper Qualifications In Childcare
What Happens When An ECEC Qualification Is Revoked
Australian Skills Quality Authority Cancels Qualifications 
Unqualified and Unprepared Students Passing Qualifications
Over 10,000 Early Childhood Education and Care Qualifications Revoked

Reference:
Early Childhood Education Students In NSW Are Paying Thousands For Contract Cheating Services, The Parenthood