Preschool participation amongst Indigenous children in Australia

Abstract

Learning begins long before formal school enrolment, and research demonstrates the positive impact of quality preschool programs. The early childhood years are formative in setting the framework for later educational achievement (Elliot, 2006; Magnusson, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004; Sylva, Melhuish, Sammons, Siraj–Blatchford, & Taggart, 2009) with the benefits of preschool magnified for those from disadvantaged backgrounds (Lynch, 2005; Schweinhart et al., 2005). These advantages are recognised in government policy through a range of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) programs. The $970 million National Partnership on Early Childhood education program, for example, commits to providing every Australian child with access to a quality preschool program in the year before fulltime school (Productivity Commission, 2013). The particular preschool needs of Indigenous children living in remote communities are also central to the Closing the Gap Indigenous policy framework targets (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs [FaHCSIA], 2009). Since 2008,consecutive Closing the Gap Prime Minister’s Reports (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2010; 2014) have noted substantial enrolment growth, with the 2014 report estimating that 88% of Indigenous children in remote areas are enrolled in preschool, up from around 55% in 2006 (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2006).