Interview - ABC News Breakfast

EMMA REBELLATO: Well, let's get some reaction from the government here. Education Minister Jason Clare joins us now from Sydney. Minister, thanks for joining us.

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Good morning, Emma.

REBELLATO: Should Australians be worried about their arrival?

CLARE: Well, I've got faith in the Australian Federal Police. They know what they're doing. This is not their first rodeo. When the Liberal Party let 40 foreign fighters into the country, they took the steps that they needed to take to keep Australians safe. And I trust, in the words of the AFP Commissioner yesterday, when she said that some of these women will be arrested when they arrive and others will be subject to further investigation.

REBELLATO: Well, let's talk about that. What's going to happen to those kids if their mothers potentially are arrested when they get here?

CLARE: Well, I would expect that they would be cared for by other members of their family, but that is something that the Federal Police, I expect, would be able to provide more details on when those women arrive and are arrested.

REBELLATO: Jason Clare, I want to ask about this community integration program. Can we clarify? We heard yesterday that the children will be asked to take part. So, does that mean it won't be mandatory?

CLARE: Well, kids don't get to choose who their parents are, and these children have seen sorts of things that no child should ever be exposed to, and it's going to take time for these children to reintegrate into Australian society. These are the sort of programs that the Australian Federal Police run and I would expect that the Federal Police would want to run countering violent extremism programs with all of the children that return.

REBELLATO: How will it work in terms of getting the kids into school? Will there need to be extra security in these schools? How's that going to work?

CLARE: Well, this is going to be a process that's going to take some time. It'll depend on the individual circumstances of each child, but again, will be guided by the advice of the Australian Federal Police and state police and security agencies. Let me stress this is not their first rodeo. They've done this before. They know what they're doing and will be guided by advice from the Australian Federal Police.

REBELLATO: Minister, you would like to set up a National Early Education and Care Commission, speaking to the states and territories in a couple of months about this. Why has this taken so long?

CLARE: Well, in the wake of the sickening revelations about abuse in childcare centres last year, this was, Emma, something that a lot of people talked about. We've already taken a number of important steps. We've banned the use of personal mobile phones in centres. We're trialing CCTV. I was on the program last week talking about how we're now rolling out mandatory safety training to all childcare workers and most of the workforce has now been trained. This is the next possible step, setting up a National Early Childhood Education Commission that can help to drive long term reform here for the safety of our children. But not just safety. One of the things that the sector has told me is that we've got a problem with the way the sector works generally. Over supply in some suburbs, under supply in other suburbs, and a national commission can help to steward the system, to help make sure that we've got centres where they're needed so all families can find affordable childcare where they need it.

REBELLATO: The Prime Minister in the past has made it pretty clear that he wants universal childcare. Is this still on the agenda or is it just too expensive?

CLARE: It certainly is, but I think if I can use this opportunity to explain what universal early education really is. It's not free. Some people have suggested that universal education is free or free for everybody, or it's $10 for everybody. We asked the Productivity Commission to do some work for us and they said a universal early education system is one where families can get access to child care three days a week, that it's affordable and that it is easily accessible. And we've taken the first steps here. We've cut the cost of childcare for the average family. It's now about $3,500 cheaper than it otherwise would be. Because of the extra investments we're making. We're investing a billion dollars to build more centres where they're needed. And we're now established a three day guarantee so kids from poor families don't miss out either and can get access to the subsidy. But setting up a commission to help build the next stage of reform, I think is important and it's the sort of thing I want to sit down and talk to state governments about. And that's why this commission, this idea of an early education and care commission, will be top of the agenda when education ministers next meet.

REBELLATO: I did ask this when I spoke to you last time regarding childcare centres meeting standards. Are you able to give an update on how many childcare standards have been, childcare centres, have been told they need to lift their standards and if any are at risk of their funding being taken away.

CLARE: Well, my message to all childcare centres is all of them need to meet those standards, not enough do. And historically some centres haven't met those standards for years and years and years. And if you don't, you should expect that the Commonwealth Government can use the powers that we now have to cut off your funding and that's what we're doing. I think I mentioned to you last week that about 85 centres across the country are now on notice. About half of those centres have now suddenly changed the way they act and are meeting those standards. About five centres have shut and there are a number of centres where we have sent notices to them telling them that we intend to cut their funding unless they can provide good reasons for us not to do that. And I'll provide more information on that in the next few weeks and months.

REBELLATO: Minister. Lastly, the budget is coming up very soon, just a few days away. We know that students in teaching and nursing, for instance, now get paid for placements as part of their study. Will this be expanded in the budget to other industries, particularly in health?

CLARE: Well, there's only five more sleeps. It's not long till the budget and I can't preempt what's in the budget. I’d get in a lot of trouble off the Prime Minister and the Treasurer. But what you're talking about there is important. There are a lot of students who experience what's called placement poverty, where they have to give up a part time job to do unpaid training as part of their university degree. And the University Accord report that I got a couple of years ago said that we should fix this and that we should start with teaching students, with nursing students, with midwifery students and social work students. And now there's about 60,000 students across the country that are getting that. I spoke to one nursing student the other day. I said, what does this mean to you? She said it takes her about an hour to get home at about midnight after a shift at hospital. And it means an Uber. It means being able to get home safe rather than a train and two buses. And given this young woman wants to be a nurse and help save lives and keep people healthy, I think that's the least that we can do.

REBELLATO: Jason Clare, thanks for joining us. We might see you in Canberra next week.

CLARE: Look forward to it.