NQF, NQS and EYLF
Being an early childhood educator, I need to refer to NQF, NQS and EYLF a many times. Initially, they used to confuse me a lot. And hence, I decided to research and learn about them and prepare a handy guide to quickly refer. I hope this will help other educators and students as well.
Feel free to add your comments to further improve this document but this need to remain as short as possible.
Happy Learning! :)
Let’s start with their full forms:
NQF: National Quality Framework
NQS: National Quality Standard
EYLF: Early Year Learning Framework (one of the ‘National Learning Framework’)
Overview: NQF, NQS and EYLF
NQF is basically guidelines and regulations prescribed by Australian government for childcare education providers. While NQS and EYLF are key aspects of NQF.
Now, let’s see each in detail.
National Quality Framework: Though above figure have briefly mentioned about it, I am copying same text again.
The Australian government has introduced NQF to regulate the provision of early childhood education and enhance children’s learning in their first five years. The NQF puts in place compulsory, nationwide standards to maintain quality across a range of early childhood education and care services, including long day care, preschools, family day care and outside school hours care services.
The NQF includes:
· the National Law and National Regulations (like child to staff ratio, staff qualifications)
· the National Quality Standard
· an assessment and quality rating process
· National learning frameworks (EYLF and Framework for school age care in Australia)
National Quality Standards: A key aspect of the NQF is the NQS which sets Australia-wide quality standards for early childhood education and services.
It directs providers on how to improve their services and enhance the quality of information available to families when they are making decisions about which service is best for their child.
Total 7 Quality Areas:
1. Educational program and practice
2. Children’s health and safety
5. Relationships with children
[Each Quality Area contains => some standards (total 18 standards); and each standard contains =>some elements (total 58 elements)]. Below image shows 1st Quality Area.
Early Year Leaning Framework: the EYLF is Australia’s first national curriculum framework for early childhood education.
It emphasizes play-based activities to enhance early learning and the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy). The EYLF covers the childhood years up to transition into primary school.
“An Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework” is available to assist educators in implementing the Framework.
3 fundamental objective of EYLF: (3B’s)
1. Belonging
2. Being
3. Becoming
Fundamental to the Framework is a view of children’s lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming. From before birth children are connected to family, community, culture and place. Their earliest development and learning takes place through these relationships, particularly within families, who are children’s first and most influential educators. As children participate in everyday life, they develop interests and construct their own identities and understandings of the world.
1. BELONGING:
Experiencing belonging — knowing where and with whom you belong — is integral to human existence. Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighbourhood and a wider community. Belonging acknowledges children’s interdependence with others and the basis of relationships in defining identities. In early childhood, and throughout life, relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging. Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become.
“You belong in your house with your family” — Dong
2. BEING:
Childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world. Being recognises the significance of the here and now in children’s lives. It is about the present and them knowing themselves, building and maintaining relationships with others, engaging with life’s joys and complexities, and meeting challenges in everyday life. The early childhood years are not solely preparation for the future but also about the present.
“If you want to be a mermaid you can imagine” — Jazmine
3. BECOMING:
Children’s identities, knowledge, understandings, capacities, skills and relationships change during childhood. They are shaped by many different events and circumstances. Becoming reflects this process of rapid and significant change that occurs in the early years as young children learn and grow. It emphasises learning to participate fully and actively in society.
“When you keep planting plants you become a gardener” — Olivia
3 elements of EYLF:
The EYLF is structured around the following inter-related elements:
1. Principles
2. Practice
3. Learning Outcomes
- PRINCIPLES:
The five Principles come from theories and research on the best ways to teach children. The EYLF Principles are:
1. Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
2. Partnerships
3. High expectations and equity
4. Respect for diversity
5. Ongoing learning and reflective practice
2. PRACTICES:
The Principles underpin Practice, which is the way the theories are used in everyday programs.
Educators can enhance children’s learning by:
1. adopting holistic approaches
2. being responsive to children
3. planning and implementing learning through play
4. intentional teaching
5. creating positive learning environments
6. valuing the cultural and social contexts of children and their families
7. providing continuity in experiences and transitions
8. assessing and monitoring children’s learning
3. LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Through using the above Principles and Practice, educators can help children progress towards Learning Outcomes.
The five Learning Outcomes which educators can actively promote in their services are as follows:
1. Children have a strong sense of identity
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved learners
5. Children are effective communicators.
