Fiona Alston

The resignation of Northern Territory Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk has intensified scrutiny of the Territory Government's child protection reform agenda, with child advocacy organisations, Aboriginal leaders and legal experts raising concerns about governance, transparency and independent oversight.

A universal early childhood education and care (ECEC) service obligation, flexible delivery models and sustainable funding for services operating in thin markets are among the key recommendations outlined in the Regional Education Commissioner Annual Report 2025, which argues that improving access to ECEC is fundamental to the future of regional Australia.

How Australia talks about early childhood education and care (ECEC) influences how the profession is understood, valued and supported.

With more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children attending early childhood education than ever before Australia's peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children says governments must now focus on turning increased participation into better developmental outcomes.

Creating learning environments where every child feels safe, respected and a genuine sense of belonging is fundamental to quality education. As Australia's communities become increasingly diverse, early childhood educators and teachers play an important role in helping children develop empathy, respect and the skills to navigate differences from the earliest years.

Australia's early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector will enter the next stage of national child safety reform when advanced child safety training will become available from July 2026, expanding on the mandatory foundation modules introduced earlier this year.

Giiguy Gamambi Preschool, located on Gumbaynggirr Country, has shared its first experience of undergoing assessment and rating (A&R) under New South Wales' five-business-day notice period, offering practical insights for services preparing for their own assessment visits.

Across the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, services are investing significant time in reviewing and strengthening their child safety policies. But even a technically compliant document may have limited value if it is generic, text-heavy or written in language that children, families and staff struggle to make sense of.

US defence startup Singularity has emerged from stealth with an oversubscribed $80 million Series A round at a $400 million

Ukraine has been a trailblazer and pace-setter in the evolution from traditional defence to ‘defence tech’. Drones, AI, autonomous ground