State of Australia's early childhood education and care system in rural, regional and remote communities

ACCAN recently submitted to the Education and Employment References Committee’s inquiry on the state of Australia's early childhood education and care system in rural, regional and remote communities. 

ACCAN’s submission recommends the Education and Employment References Committee:

• Recognise online early childhood education as vital in regional, rural, and remote Australia.

• Ensure affordability of devices, data plans, and reliable internet so regional, rural, and remote children can access early childhood education remotely.

• Investigate infrastructure improvements, such as mandatory domestic mobile roaming, to guarantee reliable connectivity for uninterrupted online learning in regional, rural, and remote areas. 

• Consider the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation as a potentially transformative solution for regional, rural, and remote communities, provided it is affordable, benefits all Australians, and complements rather than replaces terrestrial infrastructure.