Early Years Learning Framework

Children will benefit from exposure to the multitude of cultures that make up Australia’s society. This includes the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, which are integral to Australia’s heritage and identity. And it is important that young children in Australia grow up with an appreciation and respect for diversity of cultures race and ethnicities that surround them. Additionally, supporting diversity in early childhood serves important for children mental health and wellbeing.

Thus it is important for children developing connections to culture and community as a means of fostering a strong sense of personal identity and belonging. This idea is reflected in the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard. ‘Diversity contributes to the richness of our society and provides a valid evidence base about ways of knowing... When early childhood educators respect the diversity of families and communities, and the aspirations they hold for children, they are able to foster children’s motivation to learn and reinforce their sense of themselves as competent learners.’ (EYLF, 2009). By promoting the knowledge and extend children’s learning of cultural diversity, the requirement under the Early Years Learning Framework
Au and Kawakami (1991) suggested that the multicultural curriculum celebrates the contributions of the culture of children who are learning together at a particular time in their lives. Through this learning curriculum, children will develop the cultural competency, as the developing cultural competence is a clear expectation within the Early Years Learning Framework. The EYLF describes cultural competence as being ‘much more than awareness of cultural differences. It is the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. (EYLF,