State and territory members of the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) Early Childhood Education Network Group met in Adelaide last week for their annual face-to-face network meeting.
The meeting included discussions on preschool outcome measurement, transition to school best practice, and the final report of the South Australian Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education.
The group also visited two early learning centres co-located on school sites: Holy Family, Parafield Gardens, and Alive Catholic Early Learning, Mt Baker, witnessing the early learning environments’ strong focus on ecology, sustainability and nature evident at both centres.
At Holy Family, the early learning centre is part of the school, with the group speaking with the principal Kerry White, teaching staff and some of the young children. The Alive Catholic Early Learning Centre is located at St Francis de Sales College, Mt Barker. While run independently to the school, NCEC Senior Education Advisor Joanna Mackie said the centre was making some strong progress on transitioning young students into the school with children participating in learning experiences with the primary school including STEM learning ecologies, book week and buddy opportunities.
The network group looked in detail at 13 recommendations of the South Australian Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care. In line with the recommendations of the Royal Commission, Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) will be expanding their centres in areas of greatest need with 10 new centres being planned over the next few years.
Thanks go to CESA and Dr Neil McGoran, Director, Catholic Education South Australia for hosting the informative two-day event.
Image top: State and territory members of the National Catholic Education Commission Early Childhood Education Network Group met in Adelaide last week.