There is much happening across the sector right now to support progress as we grapple with the loopholes and challenges gripping early childhood. Many would say challenges is too soft a word. And while good will exists across governments and providers, the key question remains. Who is at the table and who is not. This question is not new, but it is still one we avoid. Once answered, those who are present must speak openly about those who are absent, because the impact of this crisis is carried most heavily by educators and teachers.
Why does this matter. Because decisions made without lived expertise rarely land well. When the people who hold children, families, and communities in their daily work are not represented, policy becomes something done to the sector rather than shaped with it. When educators, teachers, community members, families, and leaders from marginalised groups are missing, their cultural knowledge and practical wisdom are lost. Well intentioned reforms become disconnected from reality, and frustration continues.
Who is at the table shapes what is discussed. Who is not shapes what is ignored. When key voices are absent, we risk designing systems that protect structures rather than people, and we risk solutions that do not solve.
So, what next.
• Ask the question in every forum. Who is here. Who is missing.
• Name the absences rather than assuming someone else will.
• Advocate for representation that reflects the workforce, not a select few.
• Insist on processes that build in listening and co design from the start.
• Stand beside those not invited and amplify their perspectives.
Progress will not come from more meetings. It will come when the right people are seated at the table, when lived experience is heard, and when we stop celebrating token attendance as inclusion. We are wiser than this as a sector.
