Early childhood education is essential for the future. Australia recognise the important need for high-quality children’s education and is striving to work together with stakeholders to ensure a sustainable and positive future ahead. LIHE’s proposed course, the Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education closely align with the Australian government’s goal and aims to provide student with the necessary skills to be able to nurture young minds at their pivotal stages in their life and setting them up for a lifetime of positive learning. With the growing sector and the immense need for new early childhood teachers in the following years, students will be prepared to develop themselves for a professional yet rewarding career.

Course Rationale

There has never been a better time to start career in early childhood education. The sector is growing, with many opportunities to develop a professionally rewarding career. Upon completing the Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education course, students may start as an early childhood educator in a long day care or preschool, add qualifications and experience to become a service manager, or lead and manage their own business as the self-employed owner of an early childhood service. The Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education course is designed to develop and advance students’ skills in supporting the learning needs of diverse learners across the early childhood curriculum covering children from birth to five years of age. Students will build effective relationships with children, families, and communities to develop evidence based educational interventions. The course is built around themes that encompass the holistic and integrated nature of early childhood education with specific focus on play, wellbeing, and sustainability. With a professional practice unit embedded into the course, students will gain meaningful professional experience and make valuable contacts with potential employers.

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education will be able to:

1. Analyse a broad and coherent body of knowledge of early childhood pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment in relation to the changing nature of education in a rapidly evolving context;
2. Design a holistic curriculum, with advanced knowledge of play, wellbeing, and sustainability in early childhood education;
3. Demonstrate cognitive, technical, and creative skills to investigate, analyse, and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts, and theories;
4.  Identify and apply proactive and inclusive strategies for diverse groups of children to encourage and support their engagement and behaviour;
5. Demonstrate a knowledge of social responsibility, ethics, and legal principles consistent with what is expected of an educator;

Graduate Career Outcomes

The Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education course aims to develop self- sufficient, versatile, and creative early childhood educators. The course is designed for students to gain the necessary skills to be able to nurture young minds at pivotal stages in their lives – setting them up for a lifetime of positive learning. The Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education is a one-year qualification which will provide students the pathway to become a qualified educator with an expert understanding in educational theory and pedagogical practices that equips them to make a difference to children’s lives and early childhood employer services. LIHE will seek accreditation from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) for its Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education Course. With the ACECQA accredited course, graduates will be qualified to work in early childhood settings as early childhood educators. Graduates will also be equipped with expertise gained through the professional practice unit
embedded into the course which involves professional training experience.

Course Structure