Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC)
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) announced the launch of the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC). The Standing Council replaces the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) with immediate effect. MCEECDYA Secretariat staff will continue in their existing roles, and as such correspondence should be addressed to the SCSEEC Secretariat using the current MCEECDYA postal address, telephone numbers and email addresses.
A new SCSEEC website is under development.
The Hon. Dr. Elizabeth Constable MLA is the inaugural Chair of SCSEEC.
2011 National Literacy and Numeracy Results Released
The Chair of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs, the Hon. Dr. Elizabeth Constable MLA, today released the full set of results from last year’s sitting of National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests by students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 across Australia. For more information click here.
2010 Annual Report on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan released
Commonwealth and State and Territory Ministers today released the first Annual Report for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010- 2014. <more>
National Quality Framework for early childhood education.
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs today acknowledged the smooth commencement of the National Quality Framework for early childhood education from 1 January 2012. A new national body, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority will guide the implementation of the Framework nationally. For more information click here
Further milestones reached in Early Childhood Quality Reforms
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs today announced the making of the Education and Care Services National Regulations, which establish the first national regulatory system for the early childhood education and care sector.
The making of the Regulations gives legal effect to the Regulations approved in October by MCEECDYA for commencement on 1 January 2012. For more information click here
New National Education and Care Services Ombudsman, Freedom of Information and Privacy Commissioner
Commonwealth and State and Territory Ministers today announced the intention to appoint Dr Diane Sisely to the roles of National Education and Care Services Ombudsman, Freedom of Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner. <more>
Connected Kids: Australian students show their stuff In Civics And Citizenship
Chair of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs the Hon Martin Dixon MP today released results of the 2010 National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship testing program. <more>
National Consumer and Financial Literacy Framework
AEEYSOC recently approved publication of the National Consumer and Financial Literacy Framework. This document articulates a rationale for consumer and financial education in Australian schools; describes essential consumer and financial capabilities that will support lifelong learning; and provides guidance on how consumer and financial education may be structured to support a progression of learning from Foundation–Year 10. For more information please click here.
Education and Care Services National Regulations
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs today approved the release of the Education and Care Services National Regulations, which contribute towards the first national regulatory system for the early childhood education and care sector <more>
14 October MCEECDYA Meeting
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs met in Melbourne on 14 October 2011. A Communique from the meeting is available here.
2011 National Literacy and Numeracy Preliminary Results Released
The Chair of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs, the Hon Martin Dixon, MP released preliminary results for achievement in nationwide NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy on 9 September, 2011<more>
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority
Commonwealth and State and Territory Ministers have announced the membership of the new Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) Board. Download the Media release here.
Mapping Funding and Regulatory Arrangements Across the Commonwealth and States and Territories
As part of the MCEECDYA process to realize the National Education Agreement commitment to review funding and regulation across government and non-government schooling sectors, the University of Melbourne was contracted to undertake a Project to map funding and regulatory arrangements across jurisdictions.
The aim of the Project was to provide background and contextual information for any future changes to funding and regulatory arrangements across jurisdictions recommended through the MCEECDYA Process. The project also feeds into one of the research priorities of the Australian Government’s Review of Funding for Schooling, namely an assessment of existing Australian Government and state and territory government funding models and methods, which is being undertaken by Access Economics as part of that Review.
The Report resulting from the Project is the best effort of the University of Melbourne to map funding and regulatory arrangements based on input from jurisdictions, but it is not endorsed by, nor does it reflect the views of, the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development & Youth Affairs. A copy of the Report is available here
8 July MCEECDYA Meeting
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs met in Melbourne on 8 July 2011. A Communique from the meeting is available here.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010–2014
A national plan that commits all governments in Australia to a unified approach to closing the gap in education outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students has been released. <more>
Education and Care Services National Regulations
A revised exposure draft of the National Regulations is now available. This version includes Schedule 8, as well as minor revisions to Part 17 and Schedule 4. Schedule 8 contains transitional provisions that will help states and territories move from the operation of a former education and care services law to the new National Law. Copies of the exposure draft regulations and explanatory guidelines are available at here.
2010 NAPLAN Full Report Released
The Chair of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs, Martin Dixon, today released the full set of results from the 2010 national literacy and numeracy tests (NAPLAN) conducted across Australia in May last year <more>
15 April MCEECDYA Meeting
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs met in Melbourne on 15 April 2011. A Communique from the meeting is available here.
Extension of Consultation Period for National Education and Care Services
Regulations Exposure Draft MCEECDYA Ministers have agreed to extend the consultation period on the National Education and Care Services Regulations Exposure Draft to Friday 29 April. A copy of the exposure draft of the National Regulations is available for consultation.
Click here for a copy of the exposure draft and details about the National Consultation process.
National Safe Schools Framework
All governments and education authorities are committed to ensuring that students learn and develop in safe, supportive and respectful environments that maximise learning outcomes. As part of a national commitment to supporting schools to build safe school communities, the National Safe Schools Framework, introduced in 2003, has been revised.
The Framework provides a vision and a set of guiding principles that will assist schools to develop a proactive and practical whole-school approach to developing effective student safety and wellbeing policies. This vision supports schools to create learning environments that are free from bullying, harassment, aggression and violence.
National Professional Standards for Teachers
Ministers have released the National Professional Standards for Teachers. The media release is available here. The National Professional Standards for Teachers were finalised by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and endorsed by MCEECDYA in late December 2010. The Standards make explicit what teachers should know and be able to do across four career stages - graduate, proficient, highly accomplished and lead teacher - and across the three domains of professional knowledge, practice and engagement. The Standards are available at:www.aitsl.edu.au
Engaging Families in the Early Childhood Development Story Project
Ministers have released the 4 research reports from the first stage of the Engaging Families in the Early Childhood Development Story Project. This Project aims to increase the understanding of parents, carers and the community of evidence-based information from the neurosciences about early childhood development and thereby influence their interactions with children to maximise early childhood outcomes. Copies of the Reports are available here.
National Assessment Program—Science Literacy 2009
The results for the NAP 2009 Year 6 Science Literacy assessment have now been released. Also available are the accompanying technical report and school release materials. These reports and reports of previous science assessments are available here.
8 December 2010 MCEECDYA Meeting
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs met in Canberra on 8 December 2010. A Communique from the meeting is available here.
15 October 2010 MCEECDYA Meeting
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs met in Canberra on 15 October 2010. A Communique from the meeting is available here.
The Australian Education Ministers' 2010 Biennial Forum
The Australian Education Ministers' 2010 Biennial Forum took place at the Australian Parliament House, Canberra on Friday 15 October 2010. <more>
NAPLAN 2010 Summary Report released
Ministers responsible for schooling today released the first set of results from the 2010 national literacy and numeracy tests that were conducted across Australia in May this year. The NAPLAN 2010 Summary Report is available from the NAPLAN website.
For media enquiries and for interviews with ACARA Chair, Barry McGaw AO or ACARA CEO, Peter Hill, contact:
