Affinity Education Group focuses on excellence with creation of committee

Freya Lucas

Jun 24, 2019

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A new national Education Excellence Committee comprising of early childhood teachers (ECTs) from across Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland has been established by Affinity Education group.

The committee will support over 160 centres across the Group with ‘expert advice’ and recommendations in relation to their educational program, practice and pedagogy, with a spokesperson for the organisation saying that the committee was established in part to benchmark Affinity centres in relation to the most recent ACECQA Annual Performance Report.

An additional focus for the committee will be to respond to gaps identified in the Lifting our Game report, issued in 2018.

The committee will provide advice and support, develop educational resources, and provide information, mentoring and professional development opportunities for other ECTs, in pursuit of broader goals under the Lifelong Learning approach to early years education, as endorsed by Professor Frank Crowther.

A representative from Affinity outlined the child-led Lifelong Learning approach as “combining highlights from some of the world’s most significant educational philosophers” including Bronfenbrenner, Dewey, Maslow, Montessori and Reggio Emilia to form a foundation for educators of four key age groups – birth to one year; one to three years, three to five years, and six to twelve years.

Speaking on the approach, Professor Crowther said “Research study after research study confirms what early educators already know: the learning experiences within a child’s first five years form the foundation for their reaction to learning throughout their entire lives.”

The Education Excellence Committee will focus on Quality Area 1 – Educational Program and Practice, and embedding the Lifelong Learning philosophy to ensure the best possible outcomes from the Early Years Learning Framework.

Current members of the committee include a business excellence manager, and four early childhood teachers.

More information about the Affinity Education Group may be found here.

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