AEDC in Prep

​This information applies to ALL Prep students. 

Between May and July this year, our school will be taking part in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). This is a nationwide census/survey of early childhood development held once every three years. The AEDC is an Australian Government initiative run by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment and includes all children in their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC provides vital information to communities about how children are developing in the crucial early years. AEDC data is relied upon by schools, early childhood organisations, researchers and government to inform planning and improve services and supports for children and families.

The AEDC Instrument is completed by teachers about children in their first year of full-time school. The AEDC is voluntary and is not a school test. The information collected gives a picture of how children are developing before they start school in five key areas or domains. It shows what is being done well, and what can be improved. This is why it is important for all children in their first year of full-time school to be included in the AEDC.

What does this mean for your child?

Children do not need to do anything to be included in the census and will attend class as usual throughout the data collection period, which will commence on 4th May 2021. During the census, teachers will record information, including children's names and dates of birth, based on their knowledge and observations of each child in their class. Teachers answer questions relating to the five key domains of early childhood development including; Physical health and wellbeing, Emotional maturity, Social competence, Language and cognitive skills (school-based) and Communication skills and general knowledge. You can see all the questions at https://www.aedc.gov.au/avedi.

You can be confident that your child's privacy will be protected.

We understand how important it is to keep your child's information private. This is why we use a secure site to collect and keep your child's information. The AEDC is managed in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). The APPs regulate the collection, use, disclosure and storage of personal information by Australian government agencies, and some private sector organisations, and is part of the Privacy Act 1998 (Cth). APPs also form part of applicable state and territory privacy legislation and policies.

AEDC results for individual children are not reported and data about each child is de-identified. Children's names, ages, addresses and schools are not included when AEDC information is made publicly available. Individual children cannot be identified when AEDC information is linked with information from other organisations (such as health departments).

You can see how data is collected and presented by visiting www.aedc.gov.au/data. Data from the 2021 collection will be presented in a similar way.

Access to the de-identified AEDC data is limited to the following groups: 

Communities
Your child's data will be combined with data from the other children living within the same community. Communities only receive information about how their children are doing when most schools and children participate.