July 06, 2004

Accredited courses for childbirth educators

I’ve become aware that there may be some confusion developing between ourselves (Birth International) and another business with a similar name (Childbirth International). This company is located in Singapore and it offers training courses in childbirth education, classes for expectant parents and doula services for pregnant parents in Singapore.

Birth International is a Registered Training Organisation in Australia, that has been in business for 20 years. Our Graduate Diploma in Childbirth Education is recognised as the only accredited course in Australia. As a distance learning package, we have students enrolled from several countries, including Singapore and other South East Asian countries.

Soon we will be offering shorter courses, also fully accredited, that can be undertaken in a distance education format. These courses are all modules of the Community Services and Health Training Package - one of several sets of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognising and assessing people’s skills. These packages form part of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) that sets the standards for all training in the country, from Certificates through to Doctoral Degrees. The short courses we will be offering will enable childbirth educators to hone skills in specific areas such as group work, presentation, and facilitation, in a convenient, flexible format.

Those who complete one of the short courses we will be offering will be issued with a Statement of Attainment and will acquire a qualification that is recognised across all industries and workplaces in the country. They will also acquire a qualification that can count as credits into the full Graduate Diploma.

Whilst I have no objection to others setting up training courses and even using a similar name to ours (imitation is, after all, the sincerest form of flattery!), I am concerned that people who enrol in courses offering “certification” need to be aware their programs have no validity or acceptance in the wider sphere of education or employment. They may enable aspiring educators to gain some skills development, but will be no real substitute for quality, accredited courses that are underwritten by the Australian Government through its AQF. One simple guide to quality are the fees being charged and the transparency of their programs. This information should be freely available to enable quick comparison and honest evaluation.

If you are serious about childbirth education, as I hope you are, then check out the programs we are offering. Click here to take you to our Web site information and stay in touch for the details of the new shorter courses we will be offering in a few weeks.

Posted by andrea at July 06, 2004 03:36 PM