Become an in-demand early-childhood educator, equipped with effective skills and practical experience, with a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education from VU.

In our early-childhood degree you'll participate in units focused on children from birth to five years. You'll come to understand how early-childhood and kindergarten teaching can include children and families as contributors to the learning process.

You'll graduate with expertise built on a strong sense of social justice, learnt through hands-on experience and critical perspectives on theory.

You'll also have the exciting opportunity to study in early childhood centres in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Early-childhood workplace experience

We offer 80 days of supervised teaching experience, including:

• five days in the unique VU playgroup program Engaging with Place
• 10 days with infants and toddlers
• 60 days with 3- to 5-year-olds
• five days in a primary school setting, to examine first-hand the transition between preschool and primary school.

VU’s Learning Hubs are welcoming spaces where you can improve your study and employability skills.

Our students can attend Learning Hubs at one of five VU campuses.

We offer maths, writing, careers and English-language advice and can show you effective ways to study and manage your time.

Our programs include:

• workshops
• drop-in sessions
• peer mentoring
• maths and writing resources
• resume and career guidance.

Careers

Childcare job openings are expecting massive growth, with the number of qualified early-childhood teachers required at long-day-care centres to double in 2020 (ACECQA).

Thanks to the essential experience you’ll get from working in childcare and teaching in a kindergartens during your placement, you’ll be work-ready before you even graduate.

Typically, our students find work in kindergartens and childcare centres, in jobs such as:

kindergarten teacher

early childhood educator

Course structure

To attain the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education students will be required to complete:

• 288 credit points of Core studies
• Students also undertake practical placements that include 80 days supervised professional experience.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Initiate teaching and learning practices that foster learner engagement in complex contexts and foreground Aboriginal standpoints in early childhood education.

2. Critically reflect on different ways of knowing, being, and doing founded on the view of children and families as capable contributors to conceptual and pedagogical decision-making in learning and teaching.

3. Design teaching practices that reflect an ability to contextualise, question, resist, rethink, and act towards equity and the public good.

4. Exhibit a broad and coherent body of knowledge of pedagogy, curriculum and assessment in relation to the changing nature of education in a rapidly-evolving global context.

5. Critically review and articulate a range of oral and written communication techniques, including in the use of Information and Communication Technologies, to engage and connect with students, their parents/careers and the wider community,

6. Design learning opportunities that embrace a rich and varied curriculum, ensure that learning and teaching approaches are based on sound ethical principles and foster reciprocal relationships in early childhood settings.

This course may also offer at other locations in addition to the Footscray Park, Werribee. Please contact to the University for More Details.