Politicians talk and write about a range of subjects. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve spoken about the defence industry, mining, renewable energy and climate change, universities, infrastructure, investment and exports, science, law and order, arts, and multiculturalism.
But a few months ago, a pre-school educator said to me that we seldom hear our male politicians talking about early childhood education and development.
She was right. So here goes.
In South Australia, we have a couple of programs we are particularly proud of.
A few years back, we launched our “Every Chance for Every Child” initiative. It provides home visits to every newborn child by a family health nurse.
The service begins shortly after the mother is discharged from hospital. The visit is aimed to assess how both the baby and its parents are doing.
The health and development of the child are checked. Nurses also try to determine how the mum is coping, and provide both information and assistance about parenting.
Last year, more than 96 per cent of births in South Australia were followed by contact visits. The nurses determine those families who require additional support, or referral to other services. It doesn’t have to be a one-off experience.
Families are offered access to clinic-based services, or they can be included in our Family Home Visiting Program that provides up to 34 home visits over the crucial first two years of a child’s life.
The nurses build relationships with the families. In addition to the health of the child, they also look out for problems such as post-natal depression.
It’s all about providing children with the best start in life. More than 71 per cent of the families who were offered ongoing family home visiting joined the program, with more than 19 per cent of babies involved in the program from an indigenous background.
The feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive. Mums have told me they would otherwise have been left isolated, and feeling inadequate.
There has been interest in our program from overseas, and I hope “Every Chance for Every Child” is taken up nationally. Another scheme that works is our Premier’s Reading Challenge, which was introduced in 2004.
Many parents had told me they were concerned their children were spending too much time watching television or playing computer games.
So we looked at various reading and literacy initiatives around the world, and we came up with the idea of a ‘Reading Olympics’, where every child could be a winner, earning medals.
To successfully complete the Challenge, students are required to read (and be tested for comprehension on) a minimum of 12 books from a wide and interesting selection, in the space of a school year.
In the first year, those who complete the program receive a certificate. In the second year, it’s a bronze medal, then silver, then gold. After that, they move up to “Legend” and “Hall of Fame” status.
Our Reading Challenge Ambassadors include children’s authors such as ‘Possum Magic’s’ Mem Fox, and an enthusiastic group of Olympic athletes, AFL, soccer and netball stars.
Like me, they visit the schools to read to the kids and promote the program. I get more feedback from this Government initiative than any other.
Kids come up to me in the street, and tell me how many books they’ve read. One boy had read 400.
And parents tell me that their children even want to go to public libraries in the school holidays! At the start, we knew the kids would love the medals and the ceremonies honouring their achievements.
But more importantly, they fell in love with the magic of books and the joy of reading which can transport them to a different time, place or culture.
Each year, the Premier’s Reading Challenge has grown exponentially, and has been embraced by public, private and church schools.
Last year, more than 95 per cent of eligible schools in South Australia took part in the Challenge.
One of our Thinkers in Residence - Canadian child development expert, Fraser Mustard – says our earliest experiences shape the way our brains are formed, with 75 per cent of development taking place in the first five years of life.
In South Australia, we are making early childhood development one of our great causes. More than 20 one-stop children’s centres will be established at primary school sites to provide early childhood care and education, as well as parent information, support and access to health services.
Last year, we also created a new Ministerial portfolio of Early Childhood Development.
I have asked the Minister, Jay Weatherill, to examine the world-leading early childhood teaching and learning philosophies developed in Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy.
This philosophy helps to challenge and harness the creativity and imagination of the kids themselves.
It promotes children’s education through the development of all their communication, expression, cognitive and imagination skills, and helps develop relationships within and between groups of children.
It also incorporates the family, and the broader community into the learning process. My main message is that the real education revolution begins long before children enter the classroom.
It could be our smartest investment.
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