The Education Program and Practice, classified as Quality Area 1 under the National Quality Standard (NQS), is a fundamental component of early childhood education and care in Australia. Overseen by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), this quality area ensures that education and care services provide children with meaningful and engaging learning experiences.
The aim is to support children’s development, foster their sense of identity, and prepare them for future learning and life challenges. For Australian educators, families, and policymakers, Quality Area 1 is a cornerstone of ensuring high-quality education and care.
Introduction
Quality Area 1 focuses on the educational programs and practices implemented in early childhood services. It highlights the need for programs that are engaging, stimulating, and child-centered, ensuring they promote children’s learning across the five Learning Outcomes outlined in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and My Time, Our Place frameworks. Educators are encouraged to reflect on their personal beliefs and philosophies about how children learn and develop. This reflective process influences curriculum decisions, ensuring that programs are tailored to children’s unique interests, strengths, and cultural backgrounds.
A personal philosophy guides educators in their day-to-day decisions with and for children. For example, if you believe that children learn best through play, you might provide quality resources and experiences that enrich and extend their play. This belief underscores the importance of uninterrupted time for children to engage deeply in their learning experiences. Importantly, an educator’s personal philosophy should align with the service’s philosophy to ensure consistency and support for children’s learning.
Educational Program and Practice
Educational programs under Quality Area 1 are guided by the EYLF and My Time, Our Place, which emphasize belonging, being, and becoming as key principles. These frameworks define curriculum as all the interactions, experiences, activities, routines, and events—both planned and unplanned—that foster children’s learning and development. Curriculum decision-making follows a continuous cycle of observing, analyzing, documenting, planning, implementing, and reflecting.
The Program Element
The program element requires services to design educational programs that reflect the diverse needs of children, families, and communities. A quality educational program enhances children’s learning and development, recognizing that they are competent and capable learners. Programs should be engaging, play-based, and responsive to children’s interests, ideas, and cultural backgrounds. In Australia, this includes embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives to honor the heritage and traditions of the First Nations peoples.
The Practice Element
The practice element focuses on how educators interact with children to create meaningful learning experiences. This involves intentional teaching, where educators plan and facilitate activities that extend children’s knowledge and skills. Play-based learning is central to this approach, as it fosters cognitive, social, and emotional development. Educators are encouraged to balance child-directed and educator-initiated learning, ensuring children have the autonomy to explore their interests while receiving guidance to deepen their understanding.
Quality practice also emphasizes fostering children’s sense of agency, allowing them to make decisions about their learning. Educators scaffold children’s learning through open-ended questions, conversations, and thoughtfully arranged resources that challenge and engage them.
Assessment and Planning
Assessment and planning are integral to Quality Area 1, enabling educators to evaluate children’s progress and tailor programs to meet their needs. Observations, learning stories, and developmental checklists are common tools for documenting children’s learning. These records are shared with families to ensure collaboration and provide insights into their child’s development.
Reflection is a key aspect of this element, as it allows educators to assess the effectiveness of their programs and make improvements. Regular reflection ensures that educational practices remain dynamic and responsive to children’s evolving needs and interests.
Critical Reflection and Professional Growth
Quality Area 1 emphasizes the importance of critical reflection for improving educational programs and practices. Educators are encouraged to engage in reflective conversations with their teams, analyzing the effectiveness of their approaches and identifying areas for growth. This process is supported by resources such as the Educators’ Guides and the ‘Quality Area 1: Unpacking the Planning Cycle’ toolkit, which provide practical guidance for implementing best practices.
Role of Families
Family involvement is a cornerstone of Quality Area 1. Recognizing families as children’s first educators, the NQS encourages strong partnerships between educators and families. Open communication allows educators to incorporate families’ insights into the educational program, ensuring it reflects children’s cultural identities and experiences. Families are invited to share information about their children’s learning, participate in program planning, and provide feedback, fostering a collaborative approach to education.
Implementation Challenges
Implementing Quality Area 1 can present challenges, such as balancing diverse needs within a group of children. Educators must consider varying interests, abilities, and cultural backgrounds when planning programs. Staffing shortages and limited resources can also impact the delivery of high-quality programs, making professional development and adequate staffing critical for success.
Supporting Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is a fundamental principle of the NQS. Services are encouraged to engage in regular self-assessment, using feedback from families, children, and staff to identify areas for enhancement. Professional development opportunities, such as workshops and mentoring, help educators refine their skills and stay informed about best practices. By prioritizing improvement, services can ensure their programs remain relevant and effective.
The Big Picture
Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standard emphasizes the importance of providing engaging, inclusive, and child-centered educational programs. By reflecting on personal philosophies, fostering family collaboration, and engaging in continuous improvement, educators can create environments that support children’s holistic development. Through intentional teaching, play-based learning, and thoughtful planning, Australian early childhood services uphold the principles of belonging, being, and becoming, ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.