Latest news with #earlyChildhoodEducation
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- News.com.au
Southern Cross University faces shock claims of a crisis in one of their early childhood courses
Southern Cross University is facing claims that its 10-month graduate diploma in early childhood education is in crisis. Staff at the university told the ABC's 7.30 program the course, which could bring in $150m in fees for the SCU with the course cost set at $25,000 per student, was 'very low quality'. The institution was reportedly pushing the course 'hard' with an estimated 6000 students enrolled in the past two years, journalist Adele Ferguson reported. 'We've gone from having classes with 200 students in a unit, which was considered a lot, to over 2000 students,' a whistleblower said. The program alleged that the graduate diploma had received massive enrolments from international students, with the course heavily marketed through immigration agents as a pathway to residency. Immigration agent Mark Glazbrook told 7.30 the situation should 'concern every Australian'. 'We have people coming into Australia on student visas that are studying courses just to use that pathway to get permanent residency in Australia and they're looking after our children, and in some cases, they're not attending their classes.' In one claim, the program aired emails showing the university had asked staff to join 'phone sprints' to help find placements for students after the level of enrolment left it struggling to meet demand. 'One email described the situation as a significant crisis, threatening the viability of the faculty, with 400 placements needed by May, and another 2381 by July,' Ferguson reported. The staff who found the most placements for students reportedly received a gift card. The program went on to allege that SCU was placing students in childcare centres that were not meeting minimum national safety standards. The program said regulatory documents had exposed widespread gaps in basic care, including educators not understanding child protection policies, mandatory reporting duties, or even safe sleep and hygiene practices. Abigail Boyd, NSW Greens MLC said the situation struck her as absurd. 'How on earth is it giving those students any kind of good education,' Ms Boyd said. Southern Cross University has been contacted for comment. SCU declined 7.30's interview request and did not respond to detailed questions about enrolment numbers, staff turnover, student distress, or course quality and placement issues. In a statement it said the graduate diploma was a 'rigorous, high-quality program' attracting strong interest, and was fully accredited by the national higher education regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), and the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
Associated Press
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Fred Rogers Productions, PNC Foundation Extend Partnership for Alma's Way, Be My Neighbor Day and More
Originally published by Fred Rogers Productions PITTSBURGH, June 27, 2025 /3BL/ - Fred Rogers Productions has extended its partnership with the PNC Foundation. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, the PNC Foundation has awarded a $1.4 million grant to support Alma's Way, the hit series on PBS KIDS. The grant will also support community events inspired by the series and ongoing Fred Rogers Productions initiatives such as Be My Neighbor Day. PNC Grow Up Great® is a multi-year, bilingual early childhood education initiative that helps children from birth through age 5 develop a love of learning that lasts a lifetime, which aligns with the Fred Rogers Productions mission and its series' learning goals. PNC's support of Fred Rogers Productions' award-winning programming and events are aimed at helping to meet the needs of children and families where they are, a mission shared by both companies. 'We are so pleased to continue our partnership with the PNC Foundation, a valued supporter of educational and arts programs,' said Paul Siefken, president and CEO, Fred Rogers Productions. 'Their sponsorship of our programming and outreach initiatives enables us to continue providing valuable content and hands-on experiences for children and families in their neighborhoods nationwide.' The grant supports a range of onscreen content and outreach programs with educational and pro-social themes, including 49 Be My Neighbor Day events, the successful, longstanding community-based initiative inspired by Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, plus four Alma's Way community events, and more. 'Fred Rogers Productions has been a terrific collaborator from the earliest days of PNC Grow Up Great, creating quality programming that encourages young children to discover, learn and grow,' said Sally McCrady, chair and president of the PNC Foundation. 'Be My Neighbor Days is one of my favorite initiatives across PNC's markets, helping families think about how they can be great neighbors and the importance of keeping kindness in mind. We're excited to see the Alma's Way Explore Your City events take shape.' The PNC Foundation will be recognized on broadcast and across digital for its generous contribution to make new Alma's Way episodes possible. Alma's Way focuses on core messages and learning goals to encourage children as they develop problem-solving, resilience, empathy, and other life skills. The series follows 6- year-old Alma Rivera, a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx with her family among a diverse group of close-knit friends and community members. In every episode, Alma models self-awareness, responsible decision-making and empathy, while encouraging kids to develop critical thinking skills and value their own ideas and questions. The series, which premiered in 2021, is created by Sonia Manzano ('Maria' on Sesame Street) and produced by Fred Rogers Productions in association with Pipeline Studios (Elinor Wonders Why). Ellen Doherty and Manzano are executive producers. Jorge Aguirre (Goldie & Bear) is head writer and co-executive producer. Additional co-executive producers are Luis Lopez and Juan Lopez. Supervising Producer for Fred Rogers Productions is Olubunmi Mia Olufemi. Be My Neighbor Day, the signature community outreach initiative for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood spinoff Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, has attracted several hundred thousand in-person attendees nationwide since the program started in 2014. There have been more than 126,000 resources shared with participants, and attendees have helped create and assemble over 90,000 'giveback' items, such as health and first aid kits and thank you cards, for their communities. More than 30,000 items, such as sweaters and mittens, have also been collected for donation to the participating locales. About the PNC Foundation The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group Inc.(NYSE:PNC) actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The Foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit About Fred Rogers Productions Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program and extended Fred's values and approach to other efforts in promoting children's social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred's legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company's highly rated children's series, including Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods, have earned 31 Emmy® Awards among other important honors. The company's latest series are Donkey Hodie, the innovative puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Alma's Way, an animated series created by Sonia Manzano. Fred Rogers Productions strives to inspire a lifelong enthusiasm for learning through its series as well as efforts beyond broadcast including games and interactive offerings, community engagement activities, and much more. For more information, visit or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. # # # Press contacts: Grand Communications (for Fred Rogers Productions) Alison Grand 212-584-1133; [email protected] Laura Liebeck 845-440-7974; [email protected] Angie Carducci (for PNC) 412-762-9186; [email protected]
Zawya
26-06-2025
- General
- Zawya
Sharjah Education Academy launches the 'Leadership Lab' Initiative for Government Nurseries under the theme 'Imagination to Impact'
Sharjah – Sharjah Education Academy (SEA) launched the first cycle of the 'Leadership Lab' initiative yesterday morning, designed specifically for leaders of government nurseries in Sharjah, under the theme 'Imagination to Impact'. The initiative aims to equip nursery leaders with the necessary knowledge and skills for data-driven, participatory planning, ultimately contributing to the achievement of the strategic goals of high-quality early childhood education in Sharjah Government Nurseries. The initiative includes a series of carefully designed interactive and experiential stations aimed at supporting educational leadership at the nursery level. These experiences enable participants to conduct in-depth analyses of the nursery environment, understand children's needs, and identify specific challenges and opportunities, thereby steering clear of generalizations and fostering evidence-based decision-making. The session also welcomed a select group of experts and administrators from Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), who enriched the discussions and provided valuable insights to support the development of learning environments across the emirate's nurseries, reinforcing collaboration among key educational stakeholders. In this context, H.E. Ms. Khawla Al Hosani, Vice Chancellor of Sharjah Education Academy, stated: 'We are pleased to launch the Leadership Lab series, which has been thoughtfully designed to empower leaders of Sharjah Government Nurseries by enhancing their knowledge and skills in data-driven participatory planning, in line with modern educational approaches and contributing to Excellence in early childhood education in Sharjah.' 'We work closely with nursery leaders to provide guidance and support that contributes to continuously improving the performance of the nurseries. At the Academy, we take responsibility for ongoing enhancement and innovation to ensure safe, engaging, and enriching learning environments for children in the Emirate of Sharjah.' She added. The Leadership Labs initiative also aims to foster a culture of collaborative learning through the launch of Networks for Learning Communities (NLCs), which enable leaders to exchange experiences and develop practical, effective improvement plans supported by concepts of collaborative planning, visionary leadership, and institutional foresight. The initiative also introduced the AMIRA program, which offers a rich space for reflection, imagination, and strategic foresight. It empowers participants to develop inspiring strategic visions that reflect the current realities and aspirations of their nurseries, and to translate these visions into actionable steps that create a tangible impact within early childhood environments. Among the program's activities was the 'Field of Impact,' an open platform for sharing ideas and presenting future scenarios. The session focused on identifying enablers and support mechanisms that can be activated at the system level to ensure the sustainability of improvement and the advancement of institutional performance in nurseries. About Sharjah Education Academy Sharjah Education Academy continuously seeks strategic partnerships with leading local and international institutions and academic experts to achieve its objectives. With such partnerships, it guarantees developing educators through diverse and innovative academic programs based on scientific research and access to global competitiveness in education. And by raising the level of teacher performance, student outcomes will advance to a new level of talents and qualified capabilities to meet the aspirations of the wise leadership to draw a road map for a brighter future.
RNZ News
15-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pay parity policy shift leaves ECE graduates facing uncertain future
Photo: 123RF Recent migrant graduates with a master's degree or graduate diploma in early childhood education in New Zealand have expressed dismay over the government's sudden change to pay equity laws . The legislation passed in May made it harder to make a case for workers in professions dominated by women to have their pay increased in line with equivalent jobs done by men. The education sector had been hit hard by the change. From 1 July, newly qualified teachers could be placed on the lowest salary step regardless of prior qualifications and experience. The government also introduced a two-year moratorium to prevent services moving from a lower-paid to higher-paid tier of the graduated parity system. For migrant educators, the policy shift felt like a door had been abruptly slammed shut on their hopes of immigrating to New Zealand, as it became increasingly difficult to secure roles that meet the wage threshold required for residency. According to Immigration New Zealand, registered early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers are listed on the Green List Tier 2 in-demand occupation . Eligible teachers can apply for a Work to Residence visa after completing 24 months of employment with an accredited employer. However, they must earn at least the median wage, currently set at $31.61 per hour for early childhood educators, to qualify. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Lily Liu, a former local government employee in China, graduated in May from Auckland's ICL Graduate Business School with a graduate diploma in early childhood education. Liu's goal was to secure a full-time position at an early childhood center that paid the median wage - but finding such a role had been difficult. "I've applied for nearly 100 jobs since finishing my internship at the end of March," Liu said. "But I haven't heard back - not even a rejection letter." After realizing how tight the job market was, Liu expanded her search to early childhood centers outside Auckland. "Two small centers said they were interested [in hiring me]," she said. "But they could only offer entry-level salaries for new graduates." Liu said the policy change had impacted her chances of securing residency. "After the new policy was announced, I received a response from a center in Hastings saying I was not the most suitable candidate for the role," she said. "I think it was because of the salary," she said. "I asked for the median wage, but they could only offer me the Stage 3 rate [on the parity scale], which is around $29.78 per hour." She believed the change could make the early childhood education pathway less attractive to migrant teachers. "If I hadn't already come here, I would have considered going to another country," she said. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Rose Zhang, who is currently studying early childhood education at ICL Graduate Business School, shared the same concerns. With decades of experience as an English teacher at several well-known language schools in China and a master's degree in education, Zhang had hoped her background would be recognized. However, her prior teaching experience and advanced qualifications might not be considered when ECE centers determined the starting salary step for newly certified teachers or those new to the early childhood sector from 1 July. Set to graduate this July, Zhang was not optimistic about her prospects. "I just finished my internship recently," she said. "I asked the manager at the early childhood center where I interned, and the manager said ECE centers are no longer willing to offer newly graduated teachers the median wage." "Our teacher also told us in class that it's very hard to reach the median wage within the next two years, especially for students hoping to apply for residency through the Green List immigration pathway," Zhang said. "The teacher even said we could consider going to Australia if opportunities here remain limited," she said. Zhang said the lower salary rates could dampen teachers' enthusiasm for the work. "Even though we often say that teachers nurture the next generation with great love, we still have to make a living," she said. "In the long run, lower salaries will definitely affect teachers' motivation - and that will inevitably impact the energy and care they're able to give children." Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand, which represents hundreds of early childhood education center owners and managers, said the country had a system that valued both experience and qualifications through an 11-step salary scale for ECE teachers. Recognized service acknowledged work experience within the ECE sector, with each year of service counting as one step. For those transitioning from roles outside the ECE sector, previous relevant experience allowed related experience to count as half a step, up to a maximum of two steps. A teacher's qualifications also played a role in determining their starting point on the scale. However, employers would have full discretion to determine the starting salary step for newly certificated teachers or those new to New Zealand's early childhood education sector from 1 July. Recognition of previous ECE experience, relevant work history or higher qualifications would no longer be required and would be left entirely to the employer's judgment. Kathy Wolfe, chief executive of Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand Photo: Supplied Kathy Wolfe, chief executive of Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand, said early childhood education centers across the country had mixed feelings about the changes. While some employers might still choose to value teachers' prior experience and qualifications and pay accordingly, Wolfe said they could face financial constraints in doing so. "Because of the underfunding from the government, we didn't get a lot in the budget," she said. "Centres are struggling [and] the only place they've got to go is increase fees, which will then increase costs for parents." Wolfe said some centers might opt to reduce salaries and hire teachers at lower steps on the pay scale, a move that could worsen New Zealand's existing teacher shortage. "Teachers will go to employers who continue to recognize and pay for their experience and qualifications," she said. "Those who choose to pay less - not because they want to, but because they have to - will struggle to employ teachers, which again will result in closing." Fiona He, director of Auckland early childhood education center TuiTui Educare Photo: supplied Fiona He, director of Auckland early childhood education centre TuiTui Educare, said the change reflected a philosophical shift from a standardized, qualification-based pay model to a more market-driven, flexible approach that her center welcomed. While the change provided only minimal financial relief for ECE providers and was not expected to result in significant savings, it did offer greater flexibility in hiring, she said. She said that unrelated higher qualifications would likely no longer be given the same weight as they had in the past under the new policy. "We've had teachers with overseas master's degrees in unrelated fields who lacked understanding of New Zealand's culture, local communities and the ECE curriculum, Te Whāriki," she said. "Despite limited ECE experience and underwhelming performance, they started on Step 5 [of the parity salary scale], which is $32.59 per hour." "Meanwhile, local graduates with a Bachelor of Teaching in ECE who are native speakers and well-versed in New Zealand's culture and curriculum often begin on Step 1, at $27.58," she added. "That disparity doesn't seem fair or reflective of their readiness to teach in our context." Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi While the changes offered some financial relief and greater autonomy in staffing decisions, she said they could come at a cost - potentially increasing staff turnover and leading to a decline in educational quality if formal qualifications were de-emphasized. For teachers, the changes also risked lowering starting salaries and discouraging investment in formal education, which could ultimately lead to a loss of talent across the sector, she said. Wolfe said New Zealand's early childhood education sector continued to face a teacher shortage, particularly in rural areas and smaller towns. While new migrant ECE teachers might need to work for several years before becoming eligible to apply for residency, opportunities in the sector still existed, she said. However, she said sustained government funding was essential to maintaining the quality of early childhood education in New Zealand. "It's not just about salaries," Wolfe said. "It's also about the funding that comes into ECE, and the funding into ECE at the moment is very inadequate. "We hope to keep attracting people into teaching [and] early childhood education."
Associated Press
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
New Children's Book Elephant Beach Teaches Kids How to Step Outside Their Comfort Zone
Reviewers have called Devane's book a 'hit at bedtime' and a 'fun, feel-good book for kids of all ages!' Author and educator Christine Devane takes a fun and unique approach to helping shy students succeed in life and the classroom. North Andover, MA - Christine Devane's debut children's book 'Elephant Beach' tells the tale of a young girl whose relaxing day at the beach is quickly turned upside down by rowdy elephants who love to play. 'Elephant Beach' begins with a little girl who quickly brushes off the elephants upon their arrival, seeming annoyed with them and their antics. But once she gives them a chance, she slowly becomes intrigued by their playful nature and later embraces her new friends. 'As a former teacher, I saw how stories could light up a room and help kids connect with big ideas in simple, joyful ways,' said Christine Devane, author of 'Elephant Beach.' 'I wrote this book to encourage children to celebrate differences and try new things. If a child finishes the story feeling a little braver or more open to others, that means everything to me.' Spending over 13 years in early childhood education, with some of that stint in Costa Rica, author Christine Devane is a professional who truly understands young readers and the value of sharing life lessons through fiction. 'Elephant Beach' is inspired by Devane's own love of elephants, her teaching career and her own children. The main character is inspired by Devane at a young age – very shy and reserved – to show young kids that it's okay to be that way and still try something new. With vibrant red hair, the main character shows readers it's fun to embrace what makes you 'you.' Kids and even adults judge people, or in this case, animals, before getting to know them. Sometimes, they just need to give everyone a chance. You can purchase your copy of Elephant Beach here on Amazon or on Barnes and Noble. About Christine Devane: Christine Devane grew up in North Andover, Massachusetts, and graduated from Merrimack College in 2006 with a degree in English and a minor in Elementary Education. She went on to earn her master's in Elementary Education from Merrimack in 2008. Over the next 13 years, Christine taught at St. Augustine Elementary in Andover and Plympton Elementary in Waltham. She now lives in Wilmington with her husband, John, their three children—Joey, Nick, and Adeline—and their dog, Sophie. Christine has also volunteered and taught English in Costa Rica, and she is an active member of the SCBWI, regularly attending conferences in New York City and Springfield. Media Contact Company Name: Flo Agency Contact Person: Kelly Clarke Email: Send Email Phone: (603) 953-6050 Country: United States Website: Press Release Distributed by To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: New Children's Book Elephant Beach Teaches Kids How to Step Outside Their Comfort Zone
