Scrap Child Care HECS DebtRead about the proposed new scheme
In an attempt to reduce the number of tertiary qualified child care workers who move from child care services into primary school teaching the designer of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) has proposed a new scheme.
Professor Bruce Chapman, from the Australian National University's Crawford School of Economics, proposes a bonded HECS system which he says may address staff shortages in the child care sector.
National Quality Reforms mandated by the Government require all child care staff to have a Certificate III in child care by 2014 and industry experts are concerned about the financial burden this places on child care workers.
According to The Canberra Times Professor Chapmans suggests that the Government waive HECS debts for each year a qualified early childhood graduate works in a child care centre.
Estimating that 3,000 teachers would be required to meet the new regulatory framework, Professor Chapman has calculated the Government would forgo $25 million over four years.
But given many child-care workers would never reach the salary level required to repay their debts, Professor Chapman suggested lost revenue could be less than $25 million.
Waiving HECS debts would also add between 4-6 per cent per year to each graduate's disposable income or between 7-10 per cent of gross earnings.
Professor Chapman said financial incentives like these would encourage qualified child-care workers to remain in the sector.
Speaking to The Canberra Times Manuka Child Care Centre director Robby McGarvey said that while the sector welcomed the Government's commitment to raising standards in child care it was unfair to impose a financial burden on staff to increase their qualifications especially for mature workers.
"I don't think it is fair for the Government to then ask those workers to pay for it [qualifications] themselves…
"Nobody wants to take on a big debt when they are in their 40s or 50s, particularly if they aren't on a high wage to start with," she said.
The office of the Minister responsible for child care, Peter Garrett, said the Government was looking at Professor Chapman's proposal.
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