Latest news with #BlairBoyer
NZ Herald
08-08-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
South Australia to ban phones, personal devices in childcare centres
An Australian state will become one of the first to ban all personal devices - including mobile phones - in early learning centres. Photo / 123rf Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. An Australian state will become one of the first to ban all personal devices - including mobile phones - in early learning centres. Photo / 123rf South Australia will be one of the first Australian states to ban the use of personal mobile phones in childcare centres. The regulations will be implemented across all childcare and early learning centres in an effort to strengthen safety and 'better protect young children across the state'. The South Australian and Victorian state governments are among the first to implement the National Model Code, which includes the ban of mobile phones, tablets, iPads, and other devices capable of taking photos or videos, personal storage or files transfer. South Australia's Education Minister Blair Boyer said: 'The safety and wellbeing of our children is paramount, and we are working quickly to strengthen the safety requirements for long day care services and preschools. 'All providers in South Australia must now ensure they have provided their policies and procedures to ban the use of personal mobile devices to our independent regulator.
West Australian
07-08-2025
- West Australian
South Australia to ban phones, personal devices in childcare centres
South Australia will be one of the first states to ban the use of personal mobile phones in childcare centres. The regulations will be implemented across all childcare and early learning centres in an effort to strengthen safety and 'better protect young children across the state'. The South Australian and Victorian governments are among the first to implement the National Model Code, which includes the ban of mobile phones, tablets, iPads, and other devices capable of taking photos or videos, personal storage or files transfer. South Australia's Education Minister Blair Boyer said: 'The safety and wellbeing of our children is paramount, and we are working quickly to strengthen the safety requirements for long day care services and preschools.' 'All providers in South Australia must now ensure they have provided their policies and procedures to ban the use of personal mobile devices to our independent regulator. 'This ban is in line with changes recently announced by the Victorian Government and demonstrates our commitment to child safety.' As part of the ban, the Education Standards Board (ESB) will also conduct 'spot checks' across childcare and early learning centres to ensure the ban is being implements. ESB chief executive Ben Gramola said a large number of centres had already implemented the code, which was 'great to see' and highlighted a proactive approach that many in the sector were taking to address concerns. 'Services who do not comply with this ban may be subject to regulatory action including placing conditions on their service approval,' he said. predator help box All childcare and early learning centres will be required to provide assurance and a copy of the documents to the ESB before the end of September. Businesses that fail to adhere to the policy risk a fine of $50,000 or suspension. The move comes after urgent calls for childcare reforms following the alleged abuse of multiple children as young as five months at a childcare centre in Victoria. Joshua Brown, 26, is facing 70 child abuse charges including sexual penetration of a child under 12, producing child abuse material, and contaminating food with bodily fluids. He is alleged to have abused eight children at the G8 Education-owned Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023. New laws passed through parliament last week enable the Commonwealth to withhold the Childcare Centre Subsidy (CCS) on centres that repeatedly fail to meet standards. Childcare operators with a bad history will also be prevented from opening new centres, and parents will have access to information on whether a centre has been subject to conditions if it has had its CCS application rejected. The Coalition has called for further measures, including a national approach to Working with Children Checks and a national register of workers. Education Minister Jason Clare has said work on a national register is ongoing.
News.com.au
07-08-2025
- News.com.au
South Australia to ban phones, personal devices in childcare centres
South Australia will be one of the first states to ban the use of personal mobile phones in childcare centres. The regulations will be implemented across all childcare and early learning centres in an effort to strengthen safety and 'better protect young children across the state'. The South Australian and Victorian governments are among the first to implement the National Model Code, which includes the ban of mobile phones, tablets, iPads, and other devices capable of taking photos or videos, personal storage or files transfer. South Australia's Education Minister Blair Boyer said: 'The safety and wellbeing of our children is paramount, and we are working quickly to strengthen the safety requirements for long day care services and preschools.' 'All providers in South Australia must now ensure they have provided their policies and procedures to ban the use of personal mobile devices to our independent regulator. 'This ban is in line with changes recently announced by the Victorian Government and demonstrates our commitment to child safety.' As part of the ban, the Education Standards Board (ESB) will also conduct 'spot checks' across childcare and early learning centres to ensure the ban is being implements. ESB chief executive Ben Gramola said a large number of centres had already implemented the code, which was 'great to see' and highlighted a proactive approach that many in the sector were taking to address concerns. 'Services who do not comply with this ban may be subject to regulatory action including placing conditions on their service approval,' he said. All childcare and early learning centres will be required to provide assurance and a copy of the documents to the ESB before the end of September. Businesses that fail to adhere to the policy risk a fine of $50,000 or suspension. The move comes after urgent calls for childcare reforms following the alleged abuse of multiple children as young as five months at a childcare centre in Victoria. Joshua Brown, 26, is facing 70 child abuse charges including sexual penetration of a child under 12, producing child abuse material, and contaminating food with bodily fluids. He is alleged to have abused eight children at the G8 Education-owned Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023. New laws passed through parliament last week enable the Commonwealth to withhold the Childcare Centre Subsidy (CCS) on centres that repeatedly fail to meet standards. Childcare operators with a bad history will also be prevented from opening new centres, and parents will have access to information on whether a centre has been subject to conditions if it has had its CCS application rejected. The Coalition has called for further measures, including a national approach to Working with Children Checks and a national register of workers. Education Minister Jason Clare has said work on a national register is ongoing.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Parents of Klemzig early learning centre speak out amid investigation
Parents at an Adelaide early learning centre under investigation have shared mixed views, as data reveals a number of centres have failed to comply with national laws since June. The Education Standards Board (ESB) is investigating Little Shining Stars Early Learning Centre at Klemzig over the taking and storing of children's images to evidence nappy rash and minor injuries. But the regulator said police found no evidence to warrant a criminal investigation. A father whose child attended the site in Adelaide's north-eastern suburbs said his child had their photo taken by staff members but he had no concerns. "I'm not that worried because I have seen how good they are taking care of my baby," he said. "At one instance they have taken a photo of my baby, it is for my reference only and I have full trust on them." A mother said her child would not attend the service after today. "Quite disgusted, what kind of world do you think you're in to be taking photos of other children's genitals, just for documenting purposes," she said. "That's where you verbally notify the parents." Another mother at the centre said she was not worried about her child's safety. "Our concern is a personal phone, but they say it's not a personal [device] it's an official iPad, they said they took that to show to the parents or something like that, if that is the case I'm not concerned," she said. SA Education Minister Blair Boyer said educators at the Klemzig site used "centre-owned iPads" and not personal devices to take the photos. "There were concerns from some parents that nappy rash was being caused by practices at the centre and the staff felt in some cases, children were presenting at the start of the day with nappy rash so were documenting that — again totally inappropriate and should not have happened," Mr Boyer said. Mr Boyer said the matter was brought to light after a parent made a complaint about a separate issue of children being tapped on the head in efforts to soothe them during nap times. As a result, the centre sacked three workers. Four other Little Shining Stars services — at Pooraka, Virginia, Evanston and Wayville — have also been served emergency action notices, of which they have been ordered to comply with certain conditions in line with national regulations. Little Shining Stars said in statement on Tuesday it had reviewed and amended some of its procedures "to strengthen our compliance and practices". The ESB said the investigation was ongoing and other regulatory action, including prosecution, may be taken when it ends. Mr Boyer said the ESB's investigation was "thorough" and it acted quickly, adding that a funding increase led to increased inspections across the state by the regulator. "That means information that families have around where a centre might be on that chart of national quality standards is more up-to-date information," he said. The minister said the last time Little Shining Stars sites were assessed was in 2021. On the ESB website, seven other childcare centres and a primary school have been listed since June for failing to comply with different provisions of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. The service providers are: Mr Boyer did not reveal details of those incidents and said whether parental notifications were made at those sites depended on the ESB. "Decisions around whether or not emergency action notices need to be issued, like they were for Little Shining Stars, are a decision for the regulator to make," he said. "They are supposed to be assessed and rated every three years and we are trying to support the regulator to actually moved to be able to do that." More money was invested in the ESB in 2023, which has seen service visits rise by 63 per cent on the previous year, and staffing levels double.
ABC News
03-07-2025
- ABC News
SA looks to fast-track childcare mobile phone ban after allegations of abuse in Victoria
The South Australian government is investigating whether it can expedite a ban on mobile phones in childcare centres, following allegations of child abuse material being produced at a Victorian childcare centre. The personal electronic device ban is due to come into force nationally in September, but the state government said on Thursday it was investigating whether the ban could be "brought forward even sooner". Education Minister Blair Boyer has also asked for "urgent advice" on installing CCTV in early childhood education centres (ECEC), adopting a register of educators, and strengthening the capacity of the regulator to notify families when issues arise. "I note the immediate actions relating to child safety announced by Victoria today, in light of the serious charges laid against a childcare worker," he wrote to chief executives of SA's Office for Early Childhood Development and Education Standards Board. It comes after Victorian police charged a childcare worker with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims at a centre in Melbourne's south-west. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is also looking to bring forward a ban on mobile phones in childcare centres in that state. South Australian Attorney-General Kyam Maher said Mr Boyer had been working towards the ban in childcare centres for "some time" and was now seeking to have it brought forward. "Not having individual electronic devices that can record footage means film can't be made that can be passed on," he said. "It's a pretty self-explanatory thing that's being sought to be curtailed or banned." Mr Maher said the government was "keen to examine" any suggestions put forward that improved child safety, following the allegations in Victoria. "I think everyone was shocked, sickened and horrified," he said. Meanwhile, child sex offenders have been banned from working alongside child employees in South Australia. The legislation came into effect at the start of July, after passing state parliament last year. It applies to registered child sex offenders or those who have been charged with registrable child sex offences but not yet convicted. The SA government said previous laws only restricted child sex offenders in settings where children were the subject of the work, such as childcare. Mr Maher said the penalty for breaching the law was up to five years in jail. "SAPOL have now written to all of those who are registered to let them know of this change in the law," he said.
