A new sector-leading Australian Catholic University course is giving Queensland students the opportunity to graduate as early childhood teachers in as little as 18 months.
In a major boost to the early childhood teaching workforce, the course allows diploma-qualified educators, including those already working in the sector, to fast-track their four-year equivalent early childhood teaching degree.
In its first intake, the bespoke Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Birth to Five Years) (Accelerated) course has already attracted more than 70 Queensland-based students committed to upskilling their qualifications to lead preschool classrooms across the state.
The new course follows a national Productivity Commission draft report which identified early childhood workforce challenges and called for greater accelerated pathways and flexibility for educators to complete teaching qualifications while working.
ACU National Head of the School of Education Professor Donna King said the accelerated course was an innovative way for early childhood educators to gain their teaching qualifications while remaining employed in the sector.
"This course offers diploma-qualified early childhood educators a chance to study a rigorous teaching degree faster, but without any sacrifice to quality, content, or their working life," Professor King said.
"We designed this course to meet sector demand for high-calibre early childhood teachers and we are proud to welcome our inaugural cohort of Queensland-based students."
Queensland School of Education early childhood lecturer Laurien Beane said the course was a win-win for enrolled ACU students, partner organisations Goodstart, Lady Gowrie, and Affinity, and the early childhood teaching workforce. Additional early childhood centres are expected to take part next year.
"We all have the same aim – to educate, support, and deliver the very best early childhood teachers we can in a timely way that meets the diverse needs of our youngest Queenslanders," she said.
"We know how important good quality early childhood education is for a child's social, emotional, and academic growth and we owe it to our children to fill workforce gaps with highly trained teachers."
Ms Beane said the groundbreaking course, supported by the Queensland Government's Qualifications Pathway Program, had attracted students working in early childhood centres across the state including Cairns, Townsville, Thursday Island, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Warwick, Goondiwindi, and the Sunshine Coast.
"It's wonderful to see interest among students from across Queensland. It's vital that we upskill early childhood educators in city, regional, rural, and remote settings to ensure all families and communities have access to quality early childhood education and care," she said.
The new multi-mode course, which includes virtual reality-enhanced immersive learning experiences for students, involves an intensive work schedule and several weekend symposiums, offered in person and online, to help the future early childhood teachers learn, interact, and expand their professional networks.
The Queensland offering follows the graduation of Victoria's first cohort of almost 100 fast-tracked early childhood teachers at ACU earlier this year.
Queensland-based student and long-time early childhood educator Chloe Buchtmann, 39, said she was looking forward to graduating as an early childhood teacher next year.
"This course makes university education more attainable. It opens the door to so many opportunities and gives you more knowledge about how to best support children's growth," she said.
