Former prime minister Julia Gillard delivers royal commission into early childhood education and care

School’s in for SA’s three year olds, with the state government releasing its road map for offering each a place in preschool from 2026.

A blueprint for how South Australia will offer preschool to every three year old will be released today.

Former prime minister Julia Gillard has revealed to the Sunday Mail that her royal commission into early childhood education and care makes 43 recommendations.

Ms Gillard has delivered her findings to the state government and ministers are expected to make them public today.

In an exclusive interview Ms Gillard said her report was “much bigger than preschool” and also made recommendations on out of school hours care and supports for families in a child’s first 1000 days.

“There are aspects of the report where, if the state government embraces them, it will absolutely be true to say South Australia is leading the way,” Ms Gillard said.

Her report will reveal detailed data which shows, for the first time, the state of the sector’s workforce and how SA families use the federal government’s child care subsidy.

Ms Gillard also commissioned modelling on the economic returns that could flow from giving all children two years of preschool education.

Royal commissioner and former prime minister Julia Gillard with SA Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: MATT LOXTON

Children aged 4 are already eligible to enrol for 15 hours of preschool a week.

Aboriginal children and those in state care are eligible to enrol from age 3.

The state government pledged ahead of last year’s election to roll out universal preschool for three year olds from 2026 and asked Ms Gillard to hold a royal commission into how this could best be achieved.

She delivered an interim report in April which said it would cost $212m to fully deliver by 2032 and the sector would need 660 more early childhood teachers and 1000 other staff to meet demand.

One of the key issues Ms Gillard has examined is whether SA should change the qualifications required to become an early childhood teacher.

Currently they must complete a four-year degree covering the education of children from birth to eight years old.

While she would not reveal her recommendation, Ms Gillard said she had “looked very seriously” at interstate models using a three-year degree covering birth to five years old.

“I think it’s glib for people to simply say more years (of study) is better,” she said.

“You’ve actually got to inquire into what’s happening in those years. There is more early childhood development content in the zero to five (years old), three-year qualification.”

Goodstart Early Learning Somerton Park director Anna Burton with three year olds Oakley, Izekia and Livia. Picture Dean Martin

Goodstart Early Learning Somerton Park director Anna Burton said workers in the sector were “excited” to see Ms Gillard’s report and would welcome any changes that made it easier and faster to gain qualifications.

Four year olds at the centre are taught by an early childhood teacher with a masters qualification and Ms Burton said many of the three year olds “are just so ready for that too”.

“Expanding that opportunity is just giving them a bigger window to learn what they need to set themselves up for success, to not only be school ready but life ready,” she said.

While the royal commission focused foremost on recommendations to improve child learning and development, Ms Gillard said she also considered “barriers” to enrolling in children preschool.

These included hours that were often shorter than a school day and inconvenient for working parents.

“The commission has received lots of evidence (from families) who have literally got their own spreadsheet about working hours, cost comparisons, what grandparents do (to pick up children),” Ms Gillard said.

“We have heard parents in the evidence talk about how they’ve gone to huge efforts to try and identify where they can get four year old OSHC (out of school hours care) because it’s the only thing that makes it all work for their working hours.”

Originally published as Former prime minister Julia Gillard delivers royal commission into early childhood education and care