Jason Clare

ALP Federal

AI Summary

• About 30 per cent of childcare centres have CCTV; cameras have helped secure convictions but are less effective at preventing abuse. Measures include banning personal phones, staff training, a register to track offenders, and funding cuts or closures for centres failing standards; remaining trial funds will help smaller providers install cameras.
• The proportion of centres meeting required standards has risen from 88 to 93 per cent, but Clare said the goal is 100 per cent. The $11 million CCTV funding will support small and not-for-profit centres, rather than cover every provider.
• Four education agencies will be merged into a national Teaching and Learning Commission, alongside curriculum changes covering civics, antisemitism, maths and financial literacy. Agreed digital measures include returning NAPLAN writing to pen and paper, limiting screen time and restricting AI use, particularly in primary school and for out-of-class assessments.
• Clare argued that AI can improve homework performance without improving learning, citing a study where students’ homework results rose but closed-book exam results fell. He urged the Opposition to propose amendments to the Digital Duty of Care bill and said it targets harms including pornography, glorified violence and content promoting eating disorders or belittling girls.

AI Summary

• 93 per cent of services meet or exceed the National Quality Standard, up from 88 per cent when the Government took office; 6,925 service visits were recorded in the quarter and staffing waivers fell to 3.6 per cent of services, the lowest level since 2015.
• Ministers agreed to continue design work on a potential Early Education and Care Commission to support long-term reform, system-wide supply and demand information, and advice on safety and quality.
• A trial across more than 300 services found CCTV can support safeguarding but cannot replace active supervision. Ministers will prepare national guidance, and an $11.5 million Commonwealth grants programme will support CCTV installation or upgrades at not-for-profit services.
• The measures sit within a broader safety reform package, including mandatory child safety training, a national worker register and a ban on personal devices in centres; the Government links workforce improvements to extending the 15 per cent pay rise for early education and care workers.

AI Summary

• The Minister for Education highlighted the government's focus on combating bullying in schools and online, referencing recent digital duty-of-care legislation.
• He shared a distressing story of a girl who faced severe online bullying, emphasising the need for quicker removal of harmful content.
• The Minister also mentioned the tragic case of Adam Raine, discussing the dangers of chatbots and the importance of preventing emotional dependence among children.
• He called for bipartisan support in the Senate to address these issues and protect children from online harm.

AI Summary

• The Minister for Education emphasised the need for safe and high-quality early childhood education and acknowledged past government shortcomings in ensuring child safety.
• Key measures include banning mobile phones in childcare centres, establishing a national register for childcare workers, and implementing mandatory safety training.
• The government is considering the creation of an early education and care commission to improve centre coordination and address the closure and opening of centres across the country.

We need more housing in our local community and that’s what I am delivering. 410 new homes are under construction right now right next to Merrylands Station. They are funded by the Australian Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund that is building thousands and thousands of homes across the country. As the Shadow Minister for Housing a number of years ago I developed the Housing Australia Future Fund policy and it is great to see it now coming to life.

This morning with Fiona Phillips we turned the first sod on a new $2 million school hall for Mogo Public School, on NSW’s South Coast. The Black Summer bushfires hit Mogo hard but there is so much heart here. You can feel it in the way they’ve come together to rebuild and how much they care for this school and their kids. Thank you to Ms Dallas and her teachers and staff, local Elders, and all of the parents and students who helped us get the shovels in the ground!

Lest we forget.

We need more housing in our local community and that’s what I am delivering. 410 new homes are under construction right now right next to Merrylands Station. They are funded by the Australian Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund that is building thousands and thousands of homes across the country. As the Shadow Minister for Housing a number of years ago I developed the Housing Australia Future Fund policy and it is great to see it now coming to life.

When I was a kid growing up in Western Sydney there were lots of Westfields and Maccas, but not many Universities. That’s now changing. I used to catch the train and the bus from Cabramatta to Kensington to study law at UNSW. Now UNSW is heading west. They are setting up a new Law School in Parramatta that opens next year.

Media release: Next steps to strengthen early education as more services meeting standards than ever https://lnkd.in/gtE8JfGM