Statement attributable to United Workers Union Early Education Director Carolyn Smith:
United Workers Union welcomes the Cook Labor Government’s considered efforts to address serious issues in the early childhood education and care sector.
United Workers Union also regards the Education Minister’s approach to mobile phone bans as a sensible way to address the safety issues raised by these devices.
In terms of the Rapid Review’s five recommendations, moves toward a stronger, nationally consistent regulatory framework make loads of sense when confronting the weaknesses that have been exposed.
It is also good to see the recommendation highlighting the responsibility of providers to improve their focus on child safety, covering training, recruitment and safety standards.
From the union’s perspective, safer staffing starts with the need for providers to recognise that many, many centres are understaffed on a daily basis.
Understaffing is witnessed by our recent survey of more than 2000 educators showing 77 per cent reporting their rooms were below minimum staffing levels on a weekly basis, including 42 per cent reporting their rooms were below minimum staffing levels daily.
It’s hard to offer children a safe environment when educators are run off their feet and centres are regularly going below their minimum staffing requirements in rooms by using the “under the roof” staffing loophole.
ENDS
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