Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 36 Neurobiology and child development: Challenging current interpretation and policy implications Margaret Sims University of New England WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING an exciting time in early childhood as the Federal Government attempts to develop policies and systems to improve outcomes for our children. Recent advances in research have provided us with much evidence underpinning the new thinking. However, much of this evidence is still subject to interpretation, and it is my contention that common interpretations are significantly limited by our strong national culture of patriarchy. In this paper, I identify some of the policy implications of this ontogenic knowledge, and suggest an alternative viewpoint. ONTOGENIC KNOWLEDGE is the form of knowledge we use to take in information, interpret it and develop action as a result of our understanding (Billett, 1996). In other words, our ontogenic knowledge shapes our interpretation and action in the world. In understanding interpretation and action, we therefore have to work backwards to determine what people hold as ontogenic knowledge. Bruner and Haste (1990) and Gelman (1997) identify ontogenic knowledge as conceptual frameworks or models of the world, underpinned by values, beliefs, emotions and interests (Reynolds & Salters, 1995) – what Billet names dispositions. Dispositions determine our motivation to attend to incoming information, to either assimilate or accommodate the new information (Piaget, 1952), and to shape actions. This is particularly noteworthy in the current political context with our intense scrutiny on early childhood. Much of the debate in recent months has focused around the needs of young children and how the state ought to be developing policy and programs to improve outcomes for these children and their families. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed in March 2008 to aim for the following outcomes: ■ Children are born healthy. ■ Children acquire the basic skills for life and learning. ■ Children will benefit from better social inclusion and reduced disadvantage, especially Indigenous children. ■ All children have access to affordable, quality early childhood education in the year before formal schooling. ■ Quality early childhood education and care supports the workforce participation choices of parents with children in the years before formal schooling. (Early Childhood Development Subgroup, 2008, p. 3) In their 2008-2009 Budget, the Federal Government outlined its plan to work towards achieving these objectives. The plan includes: ■ improving access to quality early childhood education and care through: ❏ universal access to preschool for all children in the year before formal schooling, 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year, delivered by a university-qualified early childhood teacher; ❏ the establishment of 260 early learning and care centres, including six specialist autism centres. ■ improving quality of early childhood education and care through: ❏ strong National Quality Standards; ❏ A–E quality rating system; ❏ support for education and training of the early childhood workforce; ❏ the development of an Early Years Learning Framework. ■ improving the affordability of child care by increasing the child care rebate; ■ a new Healthy Kids Check for four-year-olds; ■ national rollout of the Australian Early Development Index; ■ a Home Interaction program to help parents prepare their children for school; ■ the introduction of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Guidelines for use in early childhood settings; ■ enhanced early years services for Indigenous children. (Early Childhood Development Subgroup, 2008, p. 4)