Early Childhood Education and Care, Schools and Higher Education

In the child care and education sphere, we are working closely with the Department of Education and Training, on a range of high priority areas including improvements to the child care system, access to preschool, future schools funding arrangements, teacher quality reforms and higher education.

In early childhood education and care, we are monitoring progress towards the implementation of the Jobs for Families Child Care Package, including the child care subsidy, child care safety net and the Interim Home Based Carer Pilot Programme (Nannies Pilot); and progress under the preschool National Partnership arrangements.  Under the preschool National Partnership, the Commonwealth is providing $843 million to states and territories over two years to support universal access to preschool for an average of 15 hours per week.

We provide advice and coordinate policy in the Government’s work to focus schools funding where it can do the most amount of good - teacher quality, school autonomy, engaging with parents and strengthening the curriculum.

For higher education, we work closely with the Department of Education and Training, the Department of Finance and the Treasury on the Government’s objective of an innovative, transparent and fiscally sustainable Australian higher education system.

We also provide advice and coordinate policy on research in Australia’s universities. This includes monitoring progress of the Government’s commitments in the National Innovation and Science Agenda.