Early childhood education
Preschool education can have positive impacts on life outcomes.
Proportion of 3-year-olds enrolled in preschool
This measure shows the proportion of children enrolled in a 3-year-old preschool program in the year before 4-year-old preschool (year before fulltime schooling).
Early childhood education is one of the important learning experiences for children. It provides a rich environment that supports the development of children’s:
- language
- social
- emotional
- motor
- cognitive and independence skills.
Preschool supports children’s learning and development, and this supports their transition to school.
Early school experiences can have a lasting impact on a child’s attitude to education and their lifelong learning outcomes. They can also influence the confidence a child has in their learning abilities.
In 2024, 79.7% of 3-year-old children in the ACT were enrolled in early childhood education programs, an increase from 78.3% in 2023. This rate is greater than the Australian rate of 74.9%. The ACT rate of enrolment has increased from 63.0% in 2016.
Data source
Chart description
Line graph of percentage of 3-year-olds enrolled in preschool in the ACT, by year from 2016 to 2024. In 2024, 79.7% of 3-year-olds were enrolled in preschool compared to 78.3% in 2023.
Technical notes
A preschool program is an early childhood educational program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher to children in the year or two before they begin fulltime schooling. The goal is for every ACT child to have access to preschool in the two years before fulltime schooling.
Proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the year before fulltime schooling
This measure shows the proportion of children enrolled in a preschool program in the year before fulltime schooling.
Early childhood education is one of the important learning experiences for children. It provides a rich environment that supports the development of children’s:
- language
- social
- emotional
- motor
- cognitive and independence skills.
Preschool encourages children’s learning and development, and this supports their transition to school.
Early school experiences can have a lasting impact on a child’s attitude to education. They can also influence the confidence a child has in their learning abilities.
In 2024, the proportion of ACT children enrolled in a preschool program in the year before fulltime schooling was 103%*, up from 99.1% in 2023. This compares favourably to 90.9% nationally.
* See technical notes for information on proportions summing above 100%.
Data source
Chart description
Line graph of percentage of children enrolled in a preschool program in the year before fulltime schooling in the ACT, by year from 2016 to 2024. In 2024, 103% of children were enrolled in a preschool program in the year before fulltime schooling.
Technical notes
A preschool program is an early childhood educational program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher to children in the year or two before they begin fulltime schooling. The goal is for every ACT child to have access to preschool.
Proportions above 100% can occur due to the numerator and denominator for this measure being from different data collections. The denominator is an estimate of resident population.
