Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 5:41:27 to 5:44:48
Senators raise concerns about trainees being left alone with infants, leading to a discussion on the review of 'working towards' qualification provisions and supervision obligations.
Topics: Child safety, Education
Speakers: Senator Jess Walsh, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, Unknown Speaker
>> Thank you, Chair. I also want to acknowledge the horrific headlines that families and educators, many of whom are doing the right thing, woke to and are still reeling from. and also I suppose acknowledge that we're 18 months on from the original story um and stories and despite the safety of reforms we are still seeing these harrowing headlines and it's a great tragedy. Um Minister, you said you've committed to reform but can you explain to us how a working how a worker studying towards a qualification can be left alone with
this is um part of the work uh that is being done um by education um ministers at the moment. Um you know this horrific um incident at Inenu um occurred in uh 2024 um uh of course before education ministers um stood up uh and made the reforms um that we have made. Um we have asked for um a review uh into how working towards qualifications applies uh and in the circumstances where it um where it may apply. Uh and uh that review um is underway. Um we'll be updated on it I think um Miss Crane at the next um education minister's meeting. uh and it's an important part of the work. Um I would go back though Senator in relation to that particular incident to comments I made to Senator O. Sullivan and say that um that service had responsibilities to ensure that that child was adequately supervised and that child was clearly not adequately supervised.
Do you think that a review is enough um if children are potentially being harmed right now and will you commit to exploring an end to that provision and shouldn't that be very urgent?
>> Um there is a a a body of work going on around um adequate supervision um in early childhood education settings. Um I think there can be um a place for some educators um in some settings to be working towards their qualifications. Um but those circumstances need to be um very clearly specified um and they should only ever be used um if the service can guarantee that adequate supervision of children is occurring. So um the review of um the working towards um qualifications um provision um is also part of a broader body of work uh on ensuring um that children are adequately supervised at all times uh and that providers understand their obligations um to do that.
Um can I confirm um is that next education minister's meeting on Monday?