Participation in early childhood education
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High-quality, affordable and inclusive early childhood education and care help children with disability and their families to succeed in life. Early education and care benefit children’s primary education years and can support future success not only in educational attainment and employment, but also in economic and social participation (Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031).
Preschool enrolment
Preschool programs are structured, play-based learning programs which are delivered by a qualified teacher and aimed at children in the year or two before starting full-time schooling (SCRGSP 2023). Quality preschool education sets the foundation for all children to realise their potential, particularly when systems are not inclusive and accommodating of disability.
In Australia, preschool enrolment, or attendance, is not compulsory. However, recognising its benefits, the Commonwealth has provided a per-child funding contribution since 2009 to support States in delivering 15 hours of quality preschool a week. This was initially through Universal Access National Partnership arrangements, and from 2022, through the Preschool Reform Agreement (Federal Financial Relations 2021).
The Outcomes Framework intended to track the proportion of children with disability enrolled in a preschool program the year before full-time schooling (YBFS) compared with representation in community. Measure wording has been revised in this report to reflect available data more accurately (see Appendix B: List of measures).
Estimated resident population data for children with disability are not available. For this reason, the proportion of children with disability enrolled in preschool is compared with the estimated prevalence of children with disability in Australia. Disability prevalence is sourced from the ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), the best source for this data. Disability prevalence data from SDAC has not been updated since 2018.
The measure is reported as:
- Proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the YBFS who have disability, compared with the proportion of children aged 4 to 5 years who have disability in community.
The desired key system outcome for this measure is that the preschool system supports children with disability to achieve their full potential.
System measure: Proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the YBFS who have disability, compared with the proportion of children aged 4 to 5 years who have disability in the community
Desired outcome: Proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the YBFS who have disability to reflect their representation in the community
Data source: Report on Government Services (RoGS)
Latest results: 2023
- In 2023, the proportion of children with disability who were enrolled in a preschool program in the YBFS was 7.1%, similar to the proportion of children with disability aged 4–5 in the community in 2018 – the latest year for which prevalence data for disability from the ABS SDAC are available (7.6%; 95% CI 6.2%–9.0%) (Figure 6.1).
- The proportion of children with disability who were enrolled in a preschool program in the YBFS in 2023 (7.1%) is the highest proportion since 2019 (6.8%).
Things to consider when interpreting results
- While the best available sources have been used for this measure, care should be taken in comparing results as the data come from 2 different sources.
- The YBFS population is an estimate of a single year cohort for the population that will transition to full-time schooling in the following year. Preschool starting age varies across jurisdictions and the YBFS population age range is specific to each state or territory. Data are not directly comparable across jurisdictions but are comparable across years for jurisdictions.
Latest results: 7.1% (preschool) (2023); 7.6% (community) (2018)
Baseline: 6.2% (preschool) (2021); 7.6% (community) (2018)
Progress status: Improving
Figure 6.1: Proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the YBFS with disability, 2018 to 2023, compared with the proportion of children aged 4 to 5 with disability in the community, 2018
The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the year before full-time schooling (YBFS) who have disability, compared with proportion of children aged 4 to 5 years who have disability in community. Data from 2018 to 2023 are used. In 2023, the proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the YBFS who had disability was 7.1%, compared with 7.6% representation of children with disability in the community in 2018.
| Preschool/community | Proportion (%) |
|---|---|
| In preschool program 2018 | 6.2% |
| In preschool program 2019 | 6.8% |
| In preschool program 2020 | 6.0% |
| In preschool program 2021 | 6.2% |
| In preschool program 2022 | 6.3% |
| In preschool program 2023 | 7.1% |
| In community 2018 | 7.6% |
Notes:
- Data are reported by State and Territory governments and are not directly comparable because the definition of disability varies across jurisdictions.
- The YBFS population is an estimate of a single year cohort for the population that will transition to full time schooling in the following year. The preschool starting age varies across jurisdictions (see table 3.1 in the 'Service overview' of SCRGSP 2023). The state-specific YBFS definition uses the preschool and school age entry provisions of the state or territory in which the child usually resides.
- Data on children enrolled in preschool programs are for July/August in the respective year.
- Data on representation in the community are sourced from: ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. These data are comparable across jurisdictions.
- "Children with disability" refers to a child that has a need for additional assistance in any of the following areas (learning and applying knowledge, education; communication; mobility; self-care; interpersonal interactions and relationships; other - including general tasks, domestic life, community and social life) compared to children of a similar age, that is related to underlying long term health condition or disability (long term is longer than six months).
- State and Territory data are based on the location of the child's main service (other territory locations are included in State and Territory and Australian totals).
- In 2018, the counting rules in the NSW annual preschool censes were changed for children with disability. Therefore, data cannot be compared across years. A child with disability and/or additional needs is defined as a child for whom the preschool has documentation (NDIS Reference number) or written diagnosis/assessment on letterhead signed by relevant professional/specialist (Source: The NSW Mid-Year Census for government preschools (2022) and ECEC Preschool Census (2022)). This number does not include children receiving a preschool program in a long day care setting.
- For Victoria, data with disability cannot be identified for 3 year old children who attend the Early Start Kindergarten (ESK) Program, although ESK children are included in the denominator.
- Tasmania data include government enrolments only.
- From 2023, South Australia introduced a mid-year intake into preschools. Caution should be used in interpreting state-specific YBFS estimates for South Australia, the Department of Education in South Australia will collaborate with the ABS to update and re-release YBFS data adjusted for YBFS mid-year intake enrolments.
Sources:
- State and Territory governments (unpublished) as reported in SCRGSP (Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision) 2020. Report on government services. Part B: child care, education and training. Chapter 3. Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC).
- State and Territory governments (unpublished) as reported in SCRGSP 2021. Report on government services. Part B: child care, education and training. Chapter 3. ECEC.
- State and Territory governments (unpublished) as reported in SCRGSP 2022. Report on government services. Part B: child care, education and training. Chapter 3. ECEC.
- State and Territory governments (unpublished) as reported in SCRGSP 2023. Report on government services. Part B: child care, education and training. Chapter 3. ECEC.
- State and Territory governments (unpublished) as reported in SCRGSP 2024. Report on government services. Part B: child care, education and training. Chapter 3. ECEC.
- ABS 2019, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2018, Cat. no. 4430.0, Canberra; ABS (unpublished).
Source:
Report on Government Services (RoGS)
|
Data source overview
For figure notes, see Appendix C: Figure notes and sources.
For the latest data and breakdowns of the data, see Australia’s Disability Strategy Outcomes Framework | Preschool enrolment.
FFR (Federal Financial Relations) (2021) Preschool Reform Agreement, FFR, Australian Government, accessed 1 September 2023.
SCRGSP (Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision) (2019) Report on Government Services 2023, volume B: Child care, education and training, Productivity Commission, Australian Government, accessed 1 September 2023.
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