Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority data show half of SA’s childcare centres failing to meet quality standards

Australia/Febrero de 2017/Autor: Matt Smith/Fuente: The Advertiser

RESUMEN: Más de la mitad de los proveedores de cuidado infantil de Australia del Sur aún no han sido evaluados o no cumplen con los estándares de calidad nacionales, revelan los nuevos datos de educación. El análisis de los registros nacionales de la Autoridad de Calidad de la Educación y el Cuidado de Niños de Australia por el Sunday Mail muestra que 607 de los 1165 proveedores del estado -o 52,1 %- están clasificados como «aún no evaluados» o «trabajando hacia» estándares nacionales de calidad. Las cifras muestran que 558 – o el 47,9 por ciento – de los proveedores de cuidado infantil SA cumplen o superan los estándares nacionales de calidad – el porcentaje más bajo en el país y muy por debajo del promedio nacional del 62,7 por ciento. Los registros de la Autoridad de Calidad de la Educación y el Cuidado de Niños de Australia están diseñados para ayudar a los padres a tomar decisiones informadas sobre los mejores lugares para enviar a sus hijos.

Analysis of the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority national registers by the Sunday Mail shows 607 of the state’s 1165 providers — or 52.1 per cent — are either classified as “not yet assessed” or “working towards” national quality standards.

The figures show 558 — or 47.9 per cent — of SA childcare providers are meeting or exceeding national quality standards — the lowest percentage in the country and well below the national average of 62.7 per cent.

Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority registers are designed to help parents make informed choices about the best places to send their children.

As part of the process, providers are expected to meet 58 elements in seven quality areas that cover educational programs.

These include children’s health and safety, physical environment, staffing arrangements, relationships with children, partnerships with families and communities and leadership and service management.

The authority’s chief executive, Gabrielle Sinclair, said “parents should be assured that services rated ‘working towards’ are providing safe education and care programs” with providers needing to meet “minimum operating requirements … before they can even begin to care for children.”

“Over time, all services should aim to be meeting or exceeding the (national quality standards), however it is realistic to expect that as part of the reform some services first identify the areas they need to improve on,” Ms Sinclair said.

The register shows 263 of South Australia’s 1165 centre-based and family day care providers are still working toward the national quality standards.

A further 344 are classed as “provisional — not yet assessed” despite 91 per cent (314) being registered between 2012 and 2015.

The figures mean the parents of potentially up to 14,000 children are unable to get a gauge of how the providers rate compared to their peers.

The data does however show some good signs for South Australia with no centres where “significant improvement is required.” and an above average number of centres exceeding the national quality standards.

An Education Standards Board spokesman said it was working at completing unassessed providers this year.

“The board has visited 97 per cent of all education and care services in SA and developed a strategy to increase the rate of assessments,” he said.

“The board is committed to completing the remaining assessments in 2017.”

“The national quality standard is a quality assurance system that is over and above minimum operating requirements and supports continuous improvement in services.

“This system sets a high benchmark for services.”

Fuente: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/australian-childrens-education-and-care-quality-authority-data-show-half-of-sas-childcare-centres-failing-to-meet-quality-standards/news-story/f1e59500d40e1d2316a500f1dfa0a0aa