Unequal from the start: New VU report shows achievement gap which persists

A new report has highlighted a persistent difference in education outcomes for Australia’s children which is determined by socioeconomic background, beginning at two to three years of age and becoming entrenched by the time children reach school. 

Unequal from the start: The achievement gap and the early years was released last week, and examines data from the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children (LSAC) and NAPLAN to follow the learning trajectories of children. 

Even for children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds who start life strongly and perform well at a young age, a leveling effect takes place, with these children being overtaken quickly by peers from more advantaged backgrounds as they move towards school age.

The report, Mitchell Institute Director Professor Peter Hurley said, highlights just how uneven the playing field currently is for Australian children.

“We need to take a child-centred, needs-based approach to the design and funding of education and care services right from the start,” he explained, saying the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) model doesn’t address socioeconomic differences when it comes to service provision and children’s need in the same way the public school system does.

Instead, he explained, the CCS model is a market based one which follows parent demand. While it recognises socioeconomic differences in terms of families’ ability to pay it doesn’t address those socioeconomic differences when it comes to service provision and children’s need.

Therefore, centres in the most advantaged parts of Australia receive the most money because they can charge higher fees.

The report also highlights how the home environment can impact later academic results like NAPLAN – including parental involvement, parental mental health, the number of books in a household and more.

“This shows the complex nature of children development and the need for an approach that goes beyond simply subsidising attendance at childcare services,” Professor Hurley said.

The policy message is clear, not only are the early years important, but the first three years of life are crucial. 

The report shows a high priority need to focus efforts on how, when and where children receive education and care services, and how connected these are with other supports, in order to give every Australian child the best start in life.

To do this, the report recommends taking a ‘child-centred approach’ with better linkages between early childhood services and reforming funding based on children’s needs.

“There have been great gains in making early childhood services more affordable to more families in recent years through a series of reforms, but that’s only one side of the coin,” report co-author Sarah Pilcher said. 

“Without a greater focus on equity in the earliest years, Australia is going to be hamstrung in its efforts to stop the achievement gap that is happening in our schools.”

Access Unequal from the start: The achievement gap and the early years using the link provided.