Collette Tayler

Collette Tayler (9 February 1951 – 1 December 2017) was an Australian academic and researcher whose worked influenced early childhood education policy. She held the Chair of Early Childhood Education and Care, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, at the University of Melbourne for ten years.

Early life and education Tayler was raised on a farm near Beaudesert, Queensland, and was educated at boarding school in Brisbane.

Career While an academic at the Queensland University of Technology Tayler was co-author of the OECD Thematic Report on Early Childhood Education and Care across 20 countries, titled Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and Care (2006).

She was selected as a participant in the Australia 2020 Summit in 2008, contributing to the Productivity Agenda (covering education, skills, training, science and innovation).

Tayler was the Chief Investigator of the longitudinal E4Kids study, tracking the quality of early childhood education and care programs, and the learning and development of children.

In 2018, Tayler was inducted posthumously into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

Selected publications

Tayler, C (1989). Supervising in early childhood centres: a set of guidelines for staff Tayler, C. (2004). Child and family hubs and social capital. Brisbane, Qld.: Commissioner for Children & Young People. Cloney, D., Page, J., Tayler, C., & Church, A. (2013). "Assessing the quality of early childhood education and care". Policy Brief Centre for Community Child Health. July. doi:10.4225/50/5578d03856ea1. Tayler, C. (2016). The E4kids study: assessing the effectiveness of Australian early childhood education and care programs : overview of findings at 2016. Tayler, C. (2016). Learning and teaching in the early years. . Tayler, C. (June 1, 2016). Reforming Australian early childhood education and care provision (2009-2015). Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 41, 2, 27-31.