NT joins nation in celebrating Early Learning Matters Week

The Territory has joined the nation in celebrating its early childhood education workforce. Here’s what the commemorative week means.

Minister Mark Monaghan, Chief Minister Eva Lawler, Rachael Sheppard – Early Childhood Team Leader (Kentish Community Services) and Liz Chick Chair of Early Childhood Australia Committee. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Early childhood educators across the country are being recognised for the unique work they do with the nation’s youngest learners.

Early Childhood Australia NT branch general manager, inclusion and early intervention Janet Williams-Smith on Tuesday recognised the Territory’s start to the week at Kentish Moulden.

Ms Williams-Smith said initiatives such as the NT government’s promise to double preschool hours for four-year-olds if re-elected, as well as the recent billion-dollar education deal with the federal government, were critical to supporting young Territorians.

Minister Mark Monaghan, Chief Minister Eva Lawler and Early Childhood Australia NT branch general manager, inclusion and early intervention Janet Williams-Smith celebrate Early Learning Matters Week, 2024. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“Early childhood is a transformational time in life – everybody was two, everybody was three, and what people are doing now in their life … is impacted by what happened to them when they were young,” she said.

“So between birth and five years old is a transformational time and it’s a time for us to have an opportunity to contribute to children’s development early in life and early in their potential.”

ECA chief executive Sam Page said the week of recognition was an important initiative to remind the average Aussie that childcare or daycare is not “just childminding” – it’s the first step to fostering a lifelong love of learning.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler and Ada Broome. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Ms Page said early childhood educators facilitate rich learning through play.

“It can look like children are just playing … but the educator has actually set that whole environment up, planned a program of learning for each of those children,” she said.

“(They are) engaging with those children, assessing their learning all the time and deciding whether one child might need a little bit more support with their language development.

“Another child might need fine motor skills development, another child might need to do more running and jumping to develop those gross motor skills – but they will design programs that cater to all those different needs.”

Ms Page said Early Learning Matters Week helps emphasise that “a teacher is a teacher”.

“In an early childhood setting, the teaching looks different because it’s not children sitting at desks … it is it is very play-based and very child-led, but it’s still learning and teaching.”