Rosemary Cahill
Principal Research Fellow
EdD, MEd, BEd(Hons)
rosemary.cahill@telethonkids.org.au
Dr Rosemary Cahill is Chief Investigator on an evaluation of the Early Years Initiative – a landmark ten-year partnership between the WA State Government and the Minderoo Foundation. Until recently, she was a senior officer within WA’s Department of Education, leading policy and programs in early childhood education, literacy and numeracy programs for the public school sector.
Rosemary has taught, shaped policy and delivered system-level projects since the 1980s including the Deadly Ways to Learn project in the late 90s; Getting it Right Literacy and Numeracy Strategy from 2001; Universal Access; the National Quality Standard in WA schools; Child and Parent Centres, the Australian Early Development Census; and KindiLink. Rosemary recognises her experience of growing up in Western Australia’s wheatbelt, motherhood, living overseas, study and the generosity of colleagues as factors contributing to who she is and what she thinks.
Projects
An Overview of Early Childhood Health and Education Service Provision in Australia
The impact of children’s experiences through their first 2,000 days of life – from conception to the start of full-time schooling – are widely acknowledged.
Published research
Supporting Parents as their Child’s First Teacher: Aboriginal Parents’ Perceptions of KindiLink
This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Australian pilot initiative called KindiLink. The program seeks to support parents as their child’s first teacher and thereby enhance Aboriginal children’s early-years development, while strengthening relationships between families and schools. A constructivist paradigm was used to inform the methodology which placed Aboriginal voices at the centre of the research.
Education and Qualifications
- Doctor of Education, Edith Cowan University, 2009
- Master of Education, University of Western Australia, 1992
- Bachelor of Education (First Class Honours), University of Western Australia, 1984
- Bachelor of Physical Education, University of Western Australia, 1981
Awards/Honours
- 2009: Lawrence McGrath Prize for outstanding research in education at Doctoral level
- 1984: Cecil Andrews Prize for most outstanding Education Honours student
Active Collaborations
Board Memberships:
- Edith Cowan University, School of Education Advisory Board
- Australian Children’s Television Foundation Board