Please pass onto parents who maybe interested.
http://resourcingparents.createsend4.com/T/ViewEmail/r/F223BBAD24306BDF/69F2F971E4079C40D9767B6002735221
Tags: AnnouncementOrganized by Community Child Care NSW
Thursday 12 August 5.30–7.30pm
Sydney Masonic Centre, Conference and Function Centre,
Ionic Room, 66 Goulburn St,
Surry Hills
• Sarah Hanson-Young
The Australian Greens
• The Hon. Sharman Stone
Shadow Minister for the Status
of Women, Early Childhood
Education and Childcare
(Australian Liberal Party)
• Representative of Australian
Labor Party (to be confirmed)
Please RSVP so we know how many people are
coming to rebeccaclifford@ccccnsw.org.au
The quality of early education and care available to Australia’s children should be the main
childcare issue that all political parties focus on, not the cost.
“For the first time in Australia’s history we have every Government in Australia committed to
improving the quality of education and care for children. This achievement is in jeopardy because
of misguided fears of cost increases,” said Leanne Gibbs, CEO of Community Child Care Cooperative
NSW.
Community Child Care Co-operative represents over 1500 preschools and childcare centres in
NSW, providing care and education for over 100,000 families.
A strong body of international evidence has proven that both the qualification level of staff and the
ratio of staff to children in services have an impact on children’s educational outcomes. Over
870,000 children use a childcare service in Australia each week. (Impact statement)
In recognition of this research, all Australian Governments have agreed through COAG, to a
National Quality Framework on the quality of childhood education and care.
“The National Quality Framework will bring real improvements to the quality of care. Up to 45% of
the current child care workforce has no formal qualifications and they may be responsible for up to
5 babies each,” Ms Gibbs stated.
“Under the National Quality Framework all educators must obtain qualifications and staff child
ratios will be improved. These changes will benefit children now, and those to come, and all
political parties must therefore commit to full implementation of the Framework.”
“A sustained campaign by private childcare operators has sparked concerns about increases in
childcare fees. Modelling carried out by COAG* has shown that the increases in childcare fees, as
a result of the changes, will be modest. As an example, a family with an income of under $80 000,
with one child in long day care for 30 hours per week will pay an additional $6.64 per week over
the next few years.”
Community Child Care Co-operative is calling on all political parties to commit to the full
implementation of the National Quality Framework.
“Children deserve quality education and care. This should not be put in jeopardy because of a fear
campaign about costs.”
http://www.ccccnsw.org.au/pdf/Media-Release-Childcare-quality-is-election-issue.pdf
Tags: AnnouncementThe National Early Childhood Education and Child Care Workforce Census (National Workforce Census) is an initiative of the Australian Government in partnership with state and territory governments.
The National Workforce Census will be conducted from May – July 2010, and will collect workforce information and data on access to preschool programs from child care services and preschool/ kindergarten providers, as well as from individual staff. It will provide comprehensive, current and nationally consistent data on the early childhood education and care workforce and children with additional needs in child care.
The information collected will inform government planning for the early childhood education and care sector and help to ensure that high quality early childhood services are provided to young children and their families. It will also form an important part of the Early Years Development Workforce Strategy which will provide a long-term blueprint to support recruitment, retention and career pathways of the early childhood workforce and the growth of qualifications of those working with children.
Complete the service level (part one) or staff level (part two) questionnaires of the National Workforce Census online
The service level questionnaire, part one of the National Workforce Census, is now available. You can complete part one of the census at:
National Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Census.
The staff level questionnaire, part two of the National Workforce Census, is also now available. You can complete part two of the census at:
National Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Census.
www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/Pages/NationalWorkforceCensus.aspx
Tags: AnnouncementMovie: Food, Inc. Review by Margaret Pomeranz
The way we eat has changed more in the past 50 years than it did in the previous 10,000 years; that’s the opening claim of this powerfully didactic documentary FOOD, INC. which looks beyond the supermarket shelves to see how the food Americans eat is prepared.
It’s a shocking indictment of an industry which has been taken over by greedy, litigious, multi-national corporations who not only want to put small farmers and food suppliers out of business, they want to keep quiet about the dangerous practices they use in the slaughtering of animals for food and other farming practices.
Robert Kenner’s film, based on Eric Schlosser’s “FAST FOOD NATION” and Michael Pollan’s “THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA”, accuses factory farmers of dangerous practices while at the same time accusing America’s watch-dog organisations, like the FDA, of being corrupted because former executives of those same multi-nationals have been appointed to them.
It looks at the stories of a woman whose two year old son died of E-Coli poisoning after eating a hamburger; a Latino couple who simply can’t afford to buy healthy food because it’s dearer than junk food; and a small farmer sued by a giant company for wanting to use his own seed for planting; the company owns the rights to genetically modified soybeans.
It’s a frightening film, lucidly presented, and guaranteed to make you angry but hopefully also to make you think again before you do your own shopping this weekend.
It’s taken nearly two years to reach us, which is too long.
Set alongside last week’s THE END OF THE LINE – it’s enough to make you a vegetarian.
http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2879962.htm
Palace Verona
17 Oxford St, Paddington NSW 2021
12:15 4:30 6:30pm
Dendy, Newtown
261 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
1:00 5:00 7:00pm
NURTURE SHOCK is, quite simply, a book that every human being should read. Why? Because it’s about us. How we develop. Why we behave in certain ways. I say every human being, rather than every breeder, because you don’t need to be a parent to influence children, or to have expectations of teens, or to be able to converse with your reproducing friends. One thing we all have in common is that we were children. One of the great results of reading NURTURE SHOCK is a deeper understanding of our own development.
So what makes the book so important? Bronson and Merryman use ten chapters to explore the latest findings in child development. Culling from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary theory, linguistics, and more, they reveal the groundbreaking work that is left out of the headlines largely because the results are not what we want or expect to hear. This breakdown in how science is spread, relying on the tastes and whims of untrained journalists to pick and choose, creates the need for books like NURTURE SHOCK. Again, you need to read it, even if you won’t like it.
A sampling of the results discussed: Childhood obesity might be the result of not enough sleep. Moving the argument to another room might be the worst thing parents can do. Babyspeak DVD’s may stunt your child’s verbal development (since those eight wasted hours per week weren’t spent doing something productive). How about this one: children lie more often to permissive parents than they do to parents that set rules and guidelines.
What NURTURE SHOCK highlights for me is a glaring truth: parents generally don’t know the first thing about raising kids. This ignorance is combined with the hubris generated by their mastery of having produced them. As a non-breeder, I often get shoved out of child development discussions on no other basis than the fact that my wife takes regular pills. Somehow, my reading of child psychology is trumped by my friends having read the Kama Sutra. I suppose these dogs that roam my neighborhood know more about puppy-rearing than Cesar Millan? I don’t think so.
The only problem I have with NURTURE SHOCK is its lack of a guiding evolutionary philosophy. The reason child development is nearly identical across all cultures is because we’re the same animal. Developmental theory is best understood by talking about the environment in which these traits evolved and the stimuli they expect as they grow.
Leaving out genetic and evolutionary factors created a gap in the chapter on aggression, as the authors spoke of popularity and acceptance without mentioning “alpha male” or “pack hierarchy.” The chapter on lying could have used a touch of evolutionary game theory and a mention of the manipulation of pecking order and what this means for reproductive success (and the spread of those traits). Talking about the lag in pre-frontal lobe development and not mentioning the need for young males to accept risk in order to win position, seemed like a glaring omission.
Without understanding the underlying causes for the behaviors discussed in NURTURE SHOCK, I feel we settle for half-measures. Whether Bronson and Merryman left the evolution out to simplify the book, to guard against critical rejection, or out of ignorance doesn’t matter. The reality is that parents are hardly ready for the baby step they do provide, much less the intellectual leap I’d like to see them attempt. I’m left strongly commending the authors for shuffling us forward at all and hoping enough readers will be motivated enough to dig just a little deeper.
9 out of 10
http://www.hughhowey.com/?p=469
Tags: AnnouncementThe United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is seeking to hire a qualified consultant to develop Early Childhood Development (ECD) Conceptual framework. The incumbent will be based at the UNICEF office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with travel to some provinces where the programmes are carried out.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1.Desk review relevant materials related to Early Childhood initiatives in Cambodia in Education, Health and Social Protection sectors.
2.Undertake consultations with relevant stakeholders including different UNICEF sections, national relevant ministries and institutions, Save the Children Norway (SCN), World Education (WE), World Bank/FTI, Handicap International/Belgium and NGOs (Enfant Development, Aide et Action).
3. Undertake field visits to observe and discuss Early Childhood initiatives.
4. Based on the outcomes of the review and consultations:
1. develop ECD conceptual framework for UNICEF Cambodia;
2. suggest recommendations for UNICEF on further development of ECDinitiatives
5.Conduct a one-day consultative workshop to disseminate findings of the study and provide recommendation on improving and up scaling early childhood programmes for relevant ministry officials.
6.Prepare a preliminary report, PowerPoint presentation on the findings, and final consultancy report.
Minimum Qualifications and Experience
Advanced university degree in Social Sciences with specialized training in ECD.
Five years of experience in evaluations in the field of ECD, with some experience at the international level.
Skills/Competencies
Sound knowledge of pre-school system, educational practice, policy development and current ECD programmes initiatives and developments.
Understanding of cross-sectoral nature of ECD.
Strong analytical skills, excellent writing skills and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment (specific knowledge of Khmer and working experiences in Cambodia are an asset).
Proficiency in English and knowledge of Khmer is an asset.
Submission of Applications
Applications will be considered only if accompanied by an updated CV and P11 form, as well as the two most recent performance appraisals or performance evaluation reports to: UNICEF Cambodia, Human Resources Unit, No. 11, Street 75, Sangkat Sraschark, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; or via email to cbdhrvacancies@unicef.org. Please include the title and V/N Nº.Edu/09/025 of this notice in all correspondence. The Personal History Form (P11) in MS Word format can be downloaded from www.unicef.org. Regret letters will only be sent to shortlisted candidates. All applications are treated with strict confidentiality.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/component/option,com_jobline/Itemid,37/id,149/task,view/
Tags: Announcement