More Early Childhood Teacher Places Funded for Batchelor Institute

The Member for Lingiari, the Hon Warren Snowdon MP, today welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, of funding for 15 new Commonwealth supported higher education early childhood education places at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.

The new places will be available from 2009, and represent the Australian Government's commitment to high-quality early childhood care and education.

"Combined with an extra 15 early childhood education places at Charles Darwin University, this is a significant commitment that will help meet the strong Territory demand for degree-­qualified early childhood education teachers,” said Mr Snowdon.

"The early childhood years are crucial in closing the education gap across the Territory, and our children deserve the best possible start to their learning life.

"All Australian children in the year before formal school should be able to access quality early learning programs for 15 hours a week, for a minimum of 40 weeks a year, delivered by degree-qualified teachers.”

"To achieve that we need to encourage Indigenous students to consider a career in early childhood teaching, and with these tertiary places we are making it easier for them to access that degree here at home.”

Minister Snowdon said the new places are part of the Government's $126.6 million package of initiatives announced in the 2008-09 Budget to train and retain a high­ quality early childhood education and child care workforce.

"It's never too early to invest in our children's education.”

2008-03-02