The Answer is Not to Increase Ratios

The early childhood education and care sector is undeniably broken—but it is not beyond repair. The instinct to apply a quick fix, such as increasing educator-to-child ratios, is nothing more than placing a band-aid on a deep wound. It will not address the systemic problems that have led us here: a workforce that is under-trained, under-resourced, and undervalued.

The answer is not to increase ratios. The answer is to fix the system at its roots—with integrity, courage, and the will to demand better for our children, our families, and our educators.

The call to increase educator-to-child ratios in early childhood education and care is misguided. It may appear to be a quick solution, but in reality, it risks compounding the very issues that have left the sector broken and vulnerable.

Educators are leaving the sector at alarming rates. The workforce is already under strain, under-supported, and under-resourced. Where, then, are we supposed to find the additional educators to meet these higher ratios? Flooding the sector with more underqualified, fast-tracked workers is not the answer—it only dilutes quality and places children at even greater risk.

When educators are underqualified, underprepared, or inadequately mentored, the likelihood of errors, neglect, and even abuse increases. Children are not protected by higher numbers on paper; they are protected by trained, capable professionals who understand their duty of care. Increasing ratios without addressing training and oversight risks creating more opportunities for harm to occur—whether through inexperience, poor practice, or lack of accountability.

If we are serious about safeguarding children and restoring integrity to this profession, we must address the real issues head-on.

The system has been weakened by continual waivers that allow under-qualified educators to step into roles of leadership and responsibility. These waivers may keep services running, but they compromise the very standards we claim to uphold.

Educators are being pushed through fast-tracked courses, consolidated placements, and training pathways that do not equip them with the depth of knowledge, practice, or mentoring required to lead curriculum and guide others. When Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) deliver courses by email, Zoom, and pre-written “answers,” without meaningful check-ins or genuine mentoring, the result is a workforce that is ill-prepared for the complexity of educating and safeguarding children.

This is not education. It is box-ticking, and it is unacceptable.

Raising the Bar, Not Lowering It

Early childhood education must be recognised for what it is: education, not babysitting. To achieve this, the professional training of educators must be on par with that of teachers. Entry standards must be rigorous, and completion should reflect competence, not just enrolment.

Leaders in this sector—Educational Leaders, Assistant Directors, Directors—should not be appointed without demonstrated experience, qualifications, and leadership training. Just as teachers are required to commit to ongoing professional development to maintain their registration, so too should early childhood educators be required to keep their skills current and demonstrate professional growth.

If we truly believe in quality, then leadership must be earned, not gifted.

Flooding the sector with more unqualified workers is not the solution. We need educators who see this as a vocation, not a stop-gap job or a “cheap and easy” course. The desire to do better, to uphold professional standards, and to commit to the care and education of children must come from within.

Too often, new entrants to the profession openly state this is “a means to an end,” with no intention of building a long-term career in early education. This damages not only the workforce but also the children, families, and communities we serve.

The sector is at breaking point, and families know it. Educators know it. Leaders know it. Yet instead of strengthening the workforce, we are being asked to absorb more children with fewer qualified staff. This is not a solution; it is a further risk.

We must:

• Demand higher entry and completion standards for training.
• End the cycle of perpetual waivers that undermine qualifications and ratios.
• Require leadership positions to be earned through demonstrated competence and experience.
• Reintroduce rigorous oversight, unannounced audits, and transparent accountability.
• Recognise educators as professionals, with mandatory ongoing development and expectations equal to teachers.

Until we do this, the system will remain fragile, children will remain at risk, and the profession will remain undervalued.