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  • Australian Early Development Index Forum

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    In July 2013, Fiona Pulford coordinated a seminar in Mount Gambier conducted by Dr Sally Brinkman; explaining the value and complexities of the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI).

    The AEDI is testing which occurs across Australia and is all about measuring children's development domains as an indicator of their being ready to learn when they start school. 

    This index is fundamentally important in our goal of better understanding and respecting our young people.

    This seminar presented for the City of Mount Gambier the true purpose and value of a Children’s Charter for our community.

    The AEDI highlights that here in Mount Gambier there are a number of geographic clusters in the North and the East where AEDI figures pose a considerable concern. 

    Find further information on Mount Gambier collated by Fiona Pulford here. 

    During this seminar and the discussions around the AEDI and what it means for Mount Gambier, Dr Brinkman encouraged us to consider the following questions

    • What is special about Mount Gambier?
    • What do we need to create?
    • What do we value in our community?
    • What do we care about?

    Take a moment to think about these questions and what they mean to you before reading our discussion notes from the seminar.

    It was this discussion that enabled us to develop the top five priority areas for Mount Gambier:

    1. Transport
    2. Access - What is accessibility?
    3. Family Support and Education
    4. Family's knowledge of services
    5. Breaking the cycle

    Target groups were formed with attendees registering their commitment to delve deeper into one of the five priorities. The outcomes of the continuing conversations and connections made within these sessions is crucial in the development of Social Capital, whilst highlighting the importance of developing a Children's Charter for Mount Gambier.