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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/17/national-partnership-agreement-delay-puts-pre-school-funding-at-risk
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| National Partnership Agreement delay puts pre-school funding at risk | National Partnership Agreement delay puts pre-school funding at risk |
| (2 months later) | |
| Fifteen hours a week of government-funded pre-school for every Australian child is at risk, as states accuse the federal government of dragging out negotiations over the national partnership. | Fifteen hours a week of government-funded pre-school for every Australian child is at risk, as states accuse the federal government of dragging out negotiations over the national partnership. |
| The National Partnership Agreement for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education is due to expire at the end of this year and states are getting agitated as the federal government delays negotiations while waiting for the results of a Deloitte Access review into it. But the government has denied they are dragging it out saying the states did not hand over information for the review when asked. | The National Partnership Agreement for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education is due to expire at the end of this year and states are getting agitated as the federal government delays negotiations while waiting for the results of a Deloitte Access review into it. But the government has denied they are dragging it out saying the states did not hand over information for the review when asked. |
| The agreement guarantees every child at least 15 hours of early-childhood education – often called kindy or pre-school – in the year before school each week and is used by parents in conjunction with other days of paid childcare or as their child’s sole pre-school education. | The agreement guarantees every child at least 15 hours of early-childhood education – often called kindy or pre-school – in the year before school each week and is used by parents in conjunction with other days of paid childcare or as their child’s sole pre-school education. |
| The NSW government is pressing the Coalition to commit to an ongoing NPA, while the Queensland education minister, John-Paul Langbroek, said he was concerned about a federal retreat. | The NSW government is pressing the Coalition to commit to an ongoing NPA, while the Queensland education minister, John-Paul Langbroek, said he was concerned about a federal retreat. |
| “This agreement has been instrumental in lifting Queensland’s kindy participation rate and I’m very concerned that any retreat by the federal government will cause massive disruption to the early childhood sector,” Langbroek said. | “This agreement has been instrumental in lifting Queensland’s kindy participation rate and I’m very concerned that any retreat by the federal government will cause massive disruption to the early childhood sector,” Langbroek said. |
| “If federal funding for early childhood is cut, then we won’t be able to give every child access to kindy, or maintain jobs for qualified staff.” | “If federal funding for early childhood is cut, then we won’t be able to give every child access to kindy, or maintain jobs for qualified staff.” |
| Langbroek said he was prepared to fight the government on the NPA. | Langbroek said he was prepared to fight the government on the NPA. |
| A spokesman for the NSW education minister, Adrian Piccoli, said the state would continue to argue with the federal government for universal early childhood education. | A spokesman for the NSW education minister, Adrian Piccoli, said the state would continue to argue with the federal government for universal early childhood education. |
| He said NSW had just achieved its aim of having more than 95% of children in quality pre-school but the state’s ability to do it in the long term remained uncertain. | He said NSW had just achieved its aim of having more than 95% of children in quality pre-school but the state’s ability to do it in the long term remained uncertain. |
| “Commonwealth funding is also fundamental to the state’s effective regulation of over 5,000 early childhood education and care services to ensure that they are complying with the law and delivering quality education in a safe environment for children,” he said. | “Commonwealth funding is also fundamental to the state’s effective regulation of over 5,000 early childhood education and care services to ensure that they are complying with the law and delivering quality education in a safe environment for children,” he said. |
| “The NSW government has long argued that the Universal Access National Partnership should be transitioned into an ongoing national agreement to provide funding sustainability and certainty for the early childhood education sector. The NSW minister will continue to argue for the importance of ongoing commonwealth investment to further support and maintain universal access to early childhood education.” | “The NSW government has long argued that the Universal Access National Partnership should be transitioned into an ongoing national agreement to provide funding sustainability and certainty for the early childhood education sector. The NSW minister will continue to argue for the importance of ongoing commonwealth investment to further support and maintain universal access to early childhood education.” |
| The federal assistant minister for education, Sussan Ley, said the review was a condition of the NPA the states and territories signed with the previous Labor government, which clearly stated it was not due to be completed until June 2014 but she stopped short of guaranteeing the government would re-sign. | |
| “However, it is important to note that I offered as early as November 2013 to expedite the timeframe of this review to give the states and territories certainty, subject to them all supplying the review with the required information, however this did not occur,” she said | “However, it is important to note that I offered as early as November 2013 to expedite the timeframe of this review to give the states and territories certainty, subject to them all supplying the review with the required information, however this did not occur,” she said |
| Victoria and South Australia have already committed to funding a certain number of hours of early childhood education per week and need the federal government to commit to its share to make up the 15 hours. | Victoria and South Australia have already committed to funding a certain number of hours of early childhood education per week and need the federal government to commit to its share to make up the 15 hours. |
| Victoria’s minister for children and early childhood development, Wendy Lovell, said through a spokeswoman she was “greatly concerned” there had not been any positive signs from the commonwealth on the future of universal access. | Victoria’s minister for children and early childhood development, Wendy Lovell, said through a spokeswoman she was “greatly concerned” there had not been any positive signs from the commonwealth on the future of universal access. |
| “The Victorian Coalition government has committed funding for 10 hours of kindergarten, which is its full share of the National Partnership Agreement. Minister Lovell has been lobbying the commonwealth government to commit its five hours for the agreement to ensure all four year olds receive 15 hours of kindergarten,” she said. | “The Victorian Coalition government has committed funding for 10 hours of kindergarten, which is its full share of the National Partnership Agreement. Minister Lovell has been lobbying the commonwealth government to commit its five hours for the agreement to ensure all four year olds receive 15 hours of kindergarten,” she said. |
| SA’s education minister, Jennifer Rankine, referred to a statement she made after the budget saying the program was “hanging by a thread”. | SA’s education minister, Jennifer Rankine, referred to a statement she made after the budget saying the program was “hanging by a thread”. |
| “This is an anti-education, anti-families budget and the Liberals should be ashamed of themselves,” she said at the time. | “This is an anti-education, anti-families budget and the Liberals should be ashamed of themselves,” she said at the time. |
| Ley, said the government could not commit to any further funding at the moment because the government was waiting for the outcome of the review, due on 30 June, though there was a provision in the contingency reserve for funding into the 2015-16 financial year. | Ley, said the government could not commit to any further funding at the moment because the government was waiting for the outcome of the review, due on 30 June, though there was a provision in the contingency reserve for funding into the 2015-16 financial year. |
| “I appreciate there are a range of interested [parties] such as state and territory governments, pre-schools and parents who are keen to secure certainty about the future of this National Partnership funding,” she said in a statement. | “I appreciate there are a range of interested [parties] such as state and territory governments, pre-schools and parents who are keen to secure certainty about the future of this National Partnership funding,” she said in a statement. |
| “The Abbott government is committed to delivering high-quality early childhood education, but we must also balance this with repairing Labor’s budget mess.” | “The Abbott government is committed to delivering high-quality early childhood education, but we must also balance this with repairing Labor’s budget mess.” |
| She added: “To achieve this we must ensure taxpayers receive the maximum value for their investment and I have been consistently clear with the states and territories that this review must be undertaken thoroughly and will not be rushed.” | She added: “To achieve this we must ensure taxpayers receive the maximum value for their investment and I have been consistently clear with the states and territories that this review must be undertaken thoroughly and will not be rushed.” |