’Too soon’: Tough choice facing Australian parents

Aussie parents struggling with the cost-of-living crisis are facing an impossible choice - and it could be putting kids at risk.

Early learning educators are facing an “alarming” new trend, with post-pandemic troubles causing the perfect storm.

Cost of living pressures, unaffordable childcare fees and a lack of emotional and social intelligence from our little ones is causing a headache for early learning teachers, who are concerned that children are being sent to school before they are ready.

A leading childcare operator, Carl Elassal, says the pandemic has resulted in an increasing number of children or “Covid babies” struggling socially and emotionally due to extended periods spent at home.

Mr Elassal reported that many children have become more solitary after the pandemic, and are struggling to build friendships, yet soaring costs are leading parents to enrol children into school – even if their child isn’t ready to start.

Carl Elassal, founder of Thrive Early Learning Centres and of the National Coptic Childcare Alliance, says cost of living pressures and unaffordable childcare are two factors pushing parents into sending their kids to school too soon. Picture: Simon Watts

“With the cost of living and childcare becoming unaffordable, we are seeing children’s social and emotional development unaccounted for when the choice is made about when to start school,” said Mr Elassal, founder of the Thrive Early Learning Centres and of the National Coptic Childcare Alliance.

“A lot of families have a child who is on the borderline – that 4.5-to-5-year range – where the child can write their name, but isn’t socially or emotionally ready for school,” he said.

Between birth and five years of age, children’s brains rely heavily on everyday experiences and relationships to boost connections between their neurons, Mr Elassal explained.

“If we stop the flow of being autonomous and suddenly place a child in a rote learning scenario, it halts a crucial part of early learning,” he said.

“Play based learning until at least the age of five is an important part of early learning and a lot of children have missed out because of Covid. This could actually stifle their development long term.”

Thrive Early Learning head of operations and educator Melissa Falero agreed, calling the trend “heart-breaking”.

Thrive Early Learning head of operations Melissa Falero said educators are seeing an alarming increase in children not school-ready at five years of age. Picture: Simon Watts

“If a child is really struggling to make eye contact, make friends, and unable to articulate their needs while still learning social cues, they may not be ready for school,” Ms Falero said.

“We are seeing an alarming increase in children not school ready at five years of age.”

Ms Falero reported that more children were suffering from separation anxiety, especially older children, who the educator says “just haven’t had the exposure to relationship building” due to the pandemic.

“When children go off to school, they go from a ratio of 1 to 10 in early learning to a ratio of 1 to 30 in the classroom, so it is a big adjustment for a child,” she said.

Currently, children can start school in NSW if they turn five before July 31 and must be enrolled the year they turn six.

But just last week, the NSW government launched one of the biggest education reforms in a generation.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell announced plans for a universal school starting age of 6, which would work to put children on an equal playing field by getting rid of the 18-month age gap among children in classrooms.

Melissa Falero says the jump from early learning to school is an adjustment too big for some kids, who are struggling socially and emotionally. Picture: Simon Watts

While Mr Elassal welcomed the move, he is calling on the federal government to make childcare more affordable and accessible to ease the pressure on parents and on children who are struggling to keep up.

“There are some suburbs where families are still having to get their baby on a waiting list from the moment they find out they are expecting, especially in growth suburbs like the northwest and western suburbs and the Illawarra,” he said.

“They are childcare deserts – there’s just no choice around.”

He noted Australian childcare is the second most expensive in the world and out-of-pocket childcare costs have grown on average by more than 3 per cent a year above inflation over the past decade, according to OECD data.

Part of the state’s new education reforms include a $15.5 million commitment in capital works funding to reduce waitlists at 18 early childhood education services in remote, regional and metropolitan areas.

Issues facing the early learning sector will be discussed at The National Coptic Childcare Alliance industry gala event at Star City Casino from 4pm on 29 October, 2022.

For more information go to www.copticchildcarealliance.org.au