By CELA on 19 Jun, 2019

NQF Review 2019

Hands up who needs a deadline to get things done? Good news! You’ve now got a very real deadline to have input into the NQF Review 2019, and a very simple way to make that happen.

The sector survey for NQF Review 2019 closes on 30 June, that’s just over a week away. Whether or not you attended a roadshow, made a submission, or are just hearing about the review for the very first time right now, the survey remains an important way for you to enter your experiences of the NQF so far and your preferences for its future.

Need more incentive? One of the big questions the review is considering is whether fees should be more closely linked to the cost of regulatory services. Yes, we thought that would get your attention!  How much might you be prepared to pay for ‘regulatory services’ like being assessed and rated, for example?

The National Partnership Agreement for the NQF expires in 2020, and we’ve already seen the former Commonwealth Education Minister indicate there would be no further NPA and that ACECQA would fall under Commonwealth ‘leadership’ rather than maintaining its independent statutory authority status. No surprise, then, that another major item in the scope of this review is the most appropriate governance arrangements for the NQF.  Read on to see what else is in scope – and what’s out – and to get your links to the NQF Review 2019 survey.

In case you missed it: check CELA’s latest Broadside analysis of NQF Review 2019

ece-investment-feature.png

Scope

The 2019 NQF Review will assess whether the objectives of the NQF are being met. This means looking at the original intentions for the NQF, including nationwide consistency in qualifications and staffing ratio requirements, agreement on what quality education and care looks like and how it is measured, and more.

The 2019 NQF Review will consider possible improvements to the system, including:

  • The most appropriate governance arrangements for the National Quality Framework
  • Whether fees should be more closely linked to the cost of regulatory services, in line with best practice guidelines for cost recovery
  • Any changes required from the recommendations and referred matters from the Improving Quality in Family Day Care program of work commissioned by Education Council that require legislative and policy change
  • Any changes required from the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission), as they relate to the NQF and services regulated under the NQF
  • Issues emerging from the review of the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), commissioned by Education Council, where they are more relevant to this review
  • Any further important or critical issues which may emerge from consultation with the sector, if agreed by Education Council.

Out of scope

The review is not set up to question or alter the Quality Areas, Standards and Elements of the National Quality Standard. Breathe easy: you shouldn’t have to learn yet another set of numbers any time soon!

The review is also not an opportunity to re-open questions or issues already resolved by the 2014 Review … except where they were deferred specifically to this 2019 review, or arose in a subsequent activity like the Family Day Care Projects, or were raised by the sector for consideration.

The Approved Learning Frameworks – including the EYLF – are not included in this review.

Key Deliverables

The 2019 NQF Review will include (as a minimum):

  • Analysis of existing recommendations (Royal Commission and Family Day Care projects) and their implications for the NQF
  • Development of an issues paper for consideration and endorsement by Education Council
  • Consultation with jurisdictions and relevant regulatory bodies
  • Consultation with the Early Childhood Education and Care sector, including peak bodies
  • A consultation report outlining any further important or critical issues which may emerge from consultation with the sector, to be endorsed by Education Council
  • A Draft Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS) for endorsement by Education Council
  • A comprehensive overall communications plan, with detailed plans and messages at relevant stages.

What you can do in NQF Review 2019

You can download or read online the review’s Terms of Reference document here. We’ve extracted the fundamentals for this story (scope and outcomes) but there’s more to see if you want to be fully informed.

You can still attend an NQF roadshow in person if you live in the right area – check this page for the details of the remaining dates.

And, perhaps most importantly at this stage, you can not only complete this survey yourself, but share it with colleagues and families.  Here are the complete quick links for each of the groups of people most affected by early childhood education and care, provided by the NQF Review 2019 team.

For educators

You can find out more and have your say by:

For families and communities

You can find out more and have your say by:

For service providers and peaks

You can find out more and have your say by:

Broadside June 2019

And finally, don’t forget to check CELA’s latest Broadside analysis of NQF Review 2019. Fully detailed coverage of all the issues affecting you and your network, as well as timelines for the review phases.

About CELA

Community Early Learning Australia is a not for profit organisation with a focus on amplifying the value of early learning for every child across Australia - representing our members and uniting our sector as a force for quality education and care.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Guild Insurance

CELA’s insurer of choice. Protecting Australian businesses and individuals with tailored insurance products and caring personal service.