Amplify! Blog

Not all Australian children have an equal chance to thrive as this examination of recent Australian Early Development Census data shows.

With vacation care underway in many parts of Australia, and OSHC the centre of some big spending commitments at the recent NSW election, it’s timely to take a look at what’s on offer and how it might play out for educators and school communities. Amplify editor Bec Lloyd speaks to CELA CEO Michele Carnegie in the first of several OSHC/OOSH-related stories considering the future promises and current realities of before and after school care.

In part one, Gaby covered the basics of rabbit welfare and begins outlining their needs in a children’s service setting by focusing on housing. In part two, she takes you through health and wellbeing and shares the promised story of Bumble the Bottom Biter!

While some people may wonder if young children can understand the meaning of ANZAC Day, many early learning services feel it is important to commemorate the day each year.

We share some perspectives from early educators around how they mark the day in their service, along with a list of activities and resources. 

Gabrielle (Gaby) Flavin is an early childhood teacher and an animal advocate. With Easter around the corner she penned a set of articles around one of the most commonly considered ECE ‘pets’ – rabbits.

New Amplify guest writer Linda Tandy is a nature based educator with Inspired Family Day Care (FDC). Today Linda shares the philosophy she applies to her River Kindy, around allowing children to discover and to ‘be’, and what happens when someone says ‘I’m bored’.

One third of Australia faced an election last weekend. We've been bringing you the NSW issues in some detail because, more than usual, this state contest and the Victorian election before it, have featured promises with national implications.

This is a big year for elections and even though NSW will be voting this Saturday, the campaigning is far from over as the Australian election is expected before the end of May.  Neither election has a certain outcome, although unlike Victoria’s landslide to Labor last year, pundits are generally predicting much closer results in NSW and nationally.

As we’ve previously shared, the NSW election has raised early learning and OSHC issues to a higher level than we’ve seen in many years. The inclusion of Federal Labor in the state-based promises is also sending signals to educators across Australia about what an ALP Commonwealth government might have in store following the next national election, expected before the end of May this year.

Early childhood and early primary years educators are quite possibly the most active poetry readers in Australia.  Don’t laugh: it’s true!