Greens policy could see free early childhood course
EARLY childhood teachers could have their university fees waived if a multi-million-dollar Greens proposal was put into action.
The minority party released a new policy on Thursday, which would waive $6000 worth of government university debts for early childhood teachers for each year they worked in long daycare centres.
While the policy aimed to reduce the number of people choosing to study to be primary school teachers, for every 400 people who signed up, it would cost government $2.5 million every year.
A Productivity Commission report on the childcare sector found there were 140,000 people in the industry who had little or no training for the job.
If such a scheme was introduced, and every existing early childhood teacher took it up to study, it could cost the Federal Government about $840 million each year for four years.
