“Parents expect more from the federal government when it comes to providing Australian children with the sort of opportunities they need to do well at school and be successful in life. This is certainly the message that I am hearing from many local parents living in our area” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“The transition from pre-school to primary school is an important one for young children” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Labor has already committed $450 million to ensuring that all 4 year olds in Australia have access to 15 hours of pre-school every week, for a minimum of 40 weeks per year, supervised by a qualified teacher.”
“Labor’s new policy will see all children receive a health and early skills assessment as they move from pre-school to school.”
Initiatives under Labor’s New Directions for Australian Children include:
a) Healthy Kids Check - developed in consultation with experts, the Healthy Kids Check will include an assessment of a child’s basic health such as teeth, hearing, balance and sight.
b) Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) - to be rolled out nationally from 2008 under a Federal Labor government, the AEDI is a practical checklist to assess how Australian children are faring when they reach school age. The AEDI will focus on five key aspects of childhood development. These are: · Language and cognitive development (reading awareness) · Communications skills and general knowledge (ability to communicate own needs and understand others) · Emotional health and maturity · Social competence (ability to cooperate with other children); and · Physical health and wellbeing (coordination)
c) Healthy Habits for Life - a guide that will provide practical information to help parents assist their children to develop healthy habits for life.
“This policy is essentially about ensuring that our children enjoy a healthy start to their school life, and that they are given every opportunity to do well” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Research consistently shows that pre-school and primary school education are crucial to a child’s development and academic performance later on in life. That is why we need to focus on these years, on investing in our children’s future and on helping them get the best start in life that we can give them” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Picking up potential health problems or learning disorders early on is crucial to making sure that they do not affect a child’s ability to learn and develop at school.”
“"New Directions For Australian Children" continues Labor’s focus on education and our strong commitment to making sure that Australian children are happy and healthy, and are given every opportunity to do well at school” Ms Vamvakinou said.
More Information: Alex Kouttab
