88% of children’s education and care services meeting or exceeding standards

The latest quarterly NQF Snapshot finds 88% of services are rated Meeting National Quality Standard (NQS) or above – the highest proportion since quality ratings began in 2012. The report summarises quality rating results and other information about education and care services operating under the National Quality Framework (NQF).

“This is an important milestone on the journey of quality improvement our sector began when the National Quality Standard was introduced ten years ago. The rise in the proportion of services rated Meeting NQS and above has been remarkable – from 56% in 2013 to 88% today and is even more remarkable given the growth in our sector during this period,” said ACECQA CEO Gabrielle Sinclair.

“This success is driven by the efforts of hundreds of thousands of service providers, teachers, educators and other service staff who have improved their programs and practices to deliver better outcomes for children and families,” Ms Sinclair added.

More than two-thirds (67%) of services rated Working Towards NQS improved their overall quality rating at reassessment, demonstrating the continuous improvement in service quality the NQF intends to foster is taking place.

In addition to detailed information about the quality of education and care services, the Snapshot and interactive Online Snapshot include data about temporary service closures related to the impact of COVID-19 and other aspects of service regulation, such as staffing waivers.

Details of these and other achievements from the first decade of the NQF are highlighted in our recent occasional paper on this topic.

Approved education and care services include long day care, outside school hours care and family day care services, as well as most preschools and kindergartens.