A National Pre-School Program
The needs of a two year old are very different to those of a four year old. A national pre-school program would provide much more than just childcare.
My own family's childcare experience has been fantastic, which is lucky because it's such an important part of all our lives. And I mean ALL of us, not just mine, but my husband's and our two daughters' also.
When it comes to childcare many people get bogged down in discussions about the "right" choice. It is really important that we resist the urge to judge other people's choices but rather support one another as a community. Good government planning is needed to make sure the best possible options are available.
Every person is different, and that rings true no matter how old you are or whether you're a child, parent or grandparent. So it makes sense that every family will have to make different choices about childcare.
I was lucky enough to have a range of choices and I'm glad I made the choice I did. It is unfortunate that some people will judge our family's childcare choices. Far from being a disadvantage to them, attending childcare and pre-school has been one of the best choices we've made for our kids.
Both my husband and I can still remember how traumatised we had felt after the shock of being thrust in to a school environment when all we had ever known was being at home with Mum. So it was wonderful to pick our eldest daughter up from her first day at "big school" and see her smiling, happy, confident and excited. Her smooth transition to infant's school confirmed our feeling that attending a quality childcare from a young age had been a positive experience for her.
Previous generations of women were expected to pick between being a Mum or a career person. Now, many of us balance both those roles, and often don't stop there, we want multiple identities. Nothing that's occurred over the last thirty years indicates this trend is going to slow down.
As each generation of Australian women become more highly educated, it is inevitable that we will become more professionally motivated, resulting in more kids attending childcare before they start school. It's really important we get the provision of this care right.
On the one hand the government is encouraging women to gain higher education and increase their participation in the workforce, but then on the other hand they have failed to provide the basic childcare infrastructure to enable this.
NSW Government pre-school programs are only available for a maximum of 3 days a week from 9am – 3pm. At best that would leave Mum available to work from 9:30am – 2:30pm (5hrs) 3 days a week, and only during school terms. Despite all the talk about job-sharing and part-time work it is near impossible for most women to find a job that will allow them to work only within those very limited hours.
In my own experience, finding a senior management role suitable for my experience would have been impossible if I could only work part-time.
Childcare is available longer hours, but there is a really important distinction between the needs of kids under 3ys and kids in the 3-5yrs age bracket. When selecting a childcare provider for my daughters my main concern was making sure they were being cared for in a secure environment by excellent staff who would not only make sure they were safe but also give them lots of warmth and affection.
As they got older, my girls began to complain that daycare was "for babies". It was time for the structure and challenges of pre-school.
It's much more difficult to find a good pre-school than it is a good childcare facility.
Like most working families I know we have juggled multiple childcare options to supplement the time our daughters spend in preschool; mixing various combinations of daycare, relatives, family friends, babysitters and flexible work practices.
It's a reality that more women are working and therefore more kids are in childcare, and it's a reality that a structured pre-school program is better for the well-being of 3-5yr olds. A nationally accredited pre-school program is needed in response to these realities.
Implementing such a program would be a huge challenge but now, as our system of childcare is under review presents the ideal opportunity.
Pre-school is even more beneficial for kids of parents not naturally inclined to educate within the home. When school starts, those kids who haven't been read to at home nor had the opportunity to attend pre-school are already behind.
We should support a fully accredited, world class national pre-school program. Of course, it needs to be the parent's individual decision if they choose to enrol their kids, but we need to make it a real option for all Australian kids. The potential benefits are so great; both for women and their participation in the workforce, and not least for kids and the grounding it provides for their educational and social development.
Fluent in English and Mandarin, Yu Dan Shi was the Marketing Director for Lenovo Australia and New Zealand. With over 15 years experience in the high-tech industries, Yu Dan previously held senior management roles with Harris Technology and Dell in both ANZ & Asia Pacific region. Yu Dan now runs her own Executive & Life Coach business and provides workshops on women's development.
catherine
January 30, 2009 at 12:02 am
a national preschool curriculum
I agree with all that you write in your Blog. I have had 2 kids who have sailed through daycare and preschool and I have been very happy with the way my kids thrived there.
When looking for preschools for my kids i was stunned at the vast differences between each preschool i visited. There does not seem to be any curriculum. One preschool i visited taught numbers, letters, and basic handwriting. the other told me that their main aim is to teach children how to socialise and that they did not teach any handwriting or numbers and letters. They were more focused on an experiential learning style where children led the curriculum based on their interests.
In light of this, what would a National preschool curriculum look like ?
moushumisikand
March 17, 2009 at 2:53 am
Preschools
I would be looking for a 'good' preschool for my 2 year old soon and I realized I have no idea where to look and what to look for.
What is a 'good' preschool? What should I be looking for? Is that a fair question to ask my council? Would they know or would they just hand me a list of all preschools in the area?
yudanshi
March 18, 2009 at 10:13 am
try this
Hi there, you should be able to find a list of pre-schools in your area from this website www.careforkids.com.au
There are some long daycare also provides pre-school education for 3-5 year olds, speak to the directors of the daycare centres to find out more.
Both my daughters went to KU pre-school which is one of the longest & best nation-wide pre-schools (in my personal view :-). The waiting list can be long so please register your child as soon as you can if there is a KU in your area. For any pre-schools, you should ask the director about their programs and whether you could go there for 1 hour or so to observe how the school operates.
Hope this helps.
Yu Dan