4240.0.55.001 - National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2013

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/03/2014 Final

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Contents >> Concepts, Methods and Processes >> Data Concepts and Classifications >> Reasons Children could be enrolled in and attending Multiple Preschool Programs

REASONS CHILDREN COULD BE ENROLLED IN AND ATTENDING MULTIPLE PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS

Below is a summary of the different ways that a child could be included more than once in the Collection.

ACROSS JURISDICTIONS

When children move interstate during the reference period, they may still be on the enrolment list of their former preschool as well as on the enrolment list of their new preschool. In this situation, the child would be recorded legitimately in both jurisdictional data sets (Refer to Figure 3.1). In the 2013 Collection this occurrence was significantly reduced due to the alignment of collection reference periods for each jurisdiction.

Figure 3.1 Multiple Enrolments – Across Jurisdictions

CROSS BORDER ISSUES

Where a child is enrolled in and attending two or more preschools in two separate jurisdictions (e.g. NSW and ACT), the child would be recorded in two different jurisdictional data sets. This could occur when a family chooses a mixed preschool program delivery model that spans different states/territories. Refer to Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2 Multiple Enrolments – Cross Border Issues

In the instance described in Figure 3.2 a child is enrolled in and attending two preschools and therefore this child would be included in both jurisdictional collections.

WITHIN A SECTOR

Where a child is enrolled in and attending two or more preschool programs within a sector, the child would be recorded for each enrolment within a jurisdictional data set. This could occur because a child’s family has decided to use two or more non-government services, two or more government services, or two or more LDCs, reflecting work-life arrangements, or to increase their child’s preschool attendance hours. Refer to Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3 Multiple Enrolments – Within Sector

When jurisdictions can collect data using a URL methodology and a child/client database and/or Statistical Linkage Key (SLK) is available, these records could be linked to produce a unique child record. Although this is an instance where a child is enrolled in and attending two preschools, this child should only be counted once within ‘Counts of Children’. For further information on SLKs please see the National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection: Data Collection Guide 2013 (cat. no. 4240.0.55.002).

ACROSS SECTORS

Where a child is enrolled in and attending two or more preschool programs across sectors the child would be recorded for each enrolment within a jurisdictional data set. This may occur because a child’s family has chosen to use a combination of government preschool, non-government preschool or preschool in a LDC, reflecting work-life arrangements, or to increase their child’s preschool attendance hours. Refer to Figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4 Multiple Enrolments – Across Sectors

ACROSS TIME

Where a child attends preschool for more than one year (e.g. a child who was enrolled in an 'early entry' preschool program) the child would be recorded when counting the number of children enrolled in and attending preschool in 2013 and 2014, however, the child would only be counted once (in the 2013 count) when counting the number of children enrolled in and attending preschool in the year before full-time schooling (YBFS). Refer to Figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5 Multiple Enrolments – Across Time