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Australia Highlights Success Of Blueprint Reforms In School Education

Source: Government of Victoria
Posted on: 26th November 2009

Victorian students and families are reaping the benefits of the Brumby Labor Government’s Blueprint reforms in school education and early childhood services – just one year into the ambitious five-year reform agenda.

Addressing a forum at the MCG, Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike and Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development Maxine Morand today reported on 12 months of reform achievements.

In September last year, both Ministers released the Government’s vision for supporting Victorians from birth to adulthood, outlined in the Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development.

Ms Pike today said the Brumby Labor Government was working hard to provide Victorian children every opportunity to learn so that they could have a better future.

“One year ago we set the stage for change, and our reforms are already having a tremendous impact in driving real improvement in lifting students’ outcomes,” Ms Pike said.

“We agree with parents that there is nothing more important than their child’s education, and that’s why we set an ambitious program of reforms.

“Future Blueprint reforms will continue to focus on improving teaching quality, school leadership and greater transparency and accountability to improve student’s outcomes.”

Ms Pike said school reform in the last 12 months included:

70 new regional network leaders working with schools to deliver improvement;

45 new Literacy Coaches and 15 Koorie Literacy Coaches to work with teachers in classrooms across the state to improve student learning outcomes;

A new School Performance Summary – providing unprecedented levels of information on school performance to parents;

A $90 million Energising Science and Mathematics Education in Victoria strategy – including 200 teaching and learning coaches and three new specialist science centres in Ballarat, Geelong and Heidelberg;

Teach for Australia – providing university graduates with teacher-training and a position in a school; and

The new Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership to build knowledge, skills and leadership in the teaching workforce.

Ms Morand said the Blueprint reforms contributed to the Brumby Labor Government’s commitment to giving each child the best start in life

“Our first year Blueprint goals included increasing the number of children attending their maternal and child health checks, increasing participation in kindergarten, increasing qualification levels among early childhood educators, providing more support for parents and increased access to an early intervention program,” Ms Morand said.

Ms Morand said the unprecedented reform in early childhood services in the past year included:

The new Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, which includes Transition Statements for each kindergarten child as they progress to school;

Free kindergarten for three-year-old children known to child protection;

Free kindergarten for three and four year old indigenous children;

Scholarships for early childhood educators to increase their qualifications;

Incentives to attract early childhood teachers to work in long day care and regional kindergarten;

A new Key Ages and Stages Activity Framework for the Maternal and Child Health sector;

Delivery of 1000 extra Early Childhood Intervention Services (ECIS) places across Victoria, supporting children with a disability or developmental delay;

The introduction of the new Children’s Services Regulations 2009, which includes better staff-to-child ratios in long day care for children aged under three years; and

Opening the 51st children’s centre.

Further Blueprint commitments include a new early childhood workforce strategy, a new program to assist vulnerable families to strengthen their home learning environment and a new 0-8 Early Years Learning and Development Framework.

Ms Morand said the workforce strategy and home learning program were part of the Growing, Learning and Thriving Statement, which outlines the Brumby Labor Government’s vision to achieve better access to high quality early childhood services for all Victorian children and to improve outcomes for disadvantaged young Victorians.

In her address to the forum, Ms Morand said research showed that support for children’s learning and development in the early years improved children’s adjustment and achievement through school and into adulthood.

“We understand that Victorian families want the best for their children and we are taking action so that they have the supports they need,” Ms Morand said.

“This statement reaffirms the Brumby Labor Government’s commitment to ensuring each and every Victorian child receives the best possible start to life regardless of their postcode.

“The Early Home Learning Study will help parents provide a stimulating early home learning environment for their children through reading, storytelling and play.”

Topics: Australia, Blueprint Reforms, Brumby Labor Government, children, early childhood services, education, Governance, learning, politics, reform, reform agenda, students, Victoria