TURNBULL’S BUDGET SHOWS ANOTHER HIDDEN CUT TO EARLY EDUCATION

Another hidden nasty the Turnbull Government’s 2018-19 Budget has seen funding abolished for the National Partnership Agreement on the National Quality Agenda (NQA) for Early Childhood Education.

Funding for the current $61 million agreement for the NQA is due to expire at the end of this year, and the Turnbull Government has chosen to walk away. 

 

The NQA has been responsible for the National Quality Framework since it was introduced by Labor in 2009.

 

It provides a national approach to regulation, assessment and quality improvement for early education. Through the NQA, states and territories assess early learning centres against the National Quality Framework standards.

  

The Turnbull Government also acknowledged its importance, initially continuing funding of the agreement. But now, in another of its cruel cuts, it is ending this model of cooperative federalism, and shifting the cost of implementing the quality standards to the states and territories.

 

Jobs and access to quality early learning services are now at risk, as the funding for inspections and audits of services is now gone.

 

This was a cruel budget for early learning. With no new money for preschools in the 2018-19 Budget the Turnbull Government, and the abolition of the quality agenda funding, the Liberals are demonstrating a total lack of commitment to early education.

 

Instead of providing funding for quality early education, the Turnbull Government would rather give an $80 billion tax handout to big business.

 

Once again, the Turnbull Government’s priorities are all wrong.