The Andrew Labor Government is making kinder education more accessible for children and their families by delivering more kindergartens on school sites ─ saving parents time and helping ditch the dreaded double drop-off.
Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt today announced four more kindergartens will be built at schools across Victoria in 2023 and an existing kindergarten will be expanded ─ creating 300 extra approved kindergarten places for local children.
The new kindergartens will each offer 66 approved places and will be built at Essendon Keilor College (Essendon campus), Newhaven Primary School, Meadowglen Primary School and the new Camms Road Proposed P-6 (interim name).
The existing kindergarten at Wonthaggi Primary School will also be expanded by an extra 33 places.
The Labor Government will fund all the new kindergarten spaces, as well as administrative facilities and outdoor play areas to respond to growing demand for kindergarten places and make sure all children have the opportunity to engage in nature, stay active and enjoy high-quality early learning.
As part of the Three-Year-Old Kinder roll-out, the Labor Government is upgrading infrastructure through a $1.68 billion co-investment with the early childhood sector to build and expand kindergarten facilities across the state ─ supporting local jobs in construction and across the supply chain in the process.
Every new Victorian primary school opening from 2021 onwards will have a kindergarten on-site or next door, making kindergarten programs easier to access, drop-off time simpler and more convenient for parents, and ensuring the transition from kindergarten to school is smoother for children.
In an Australian-first, the Labor Government is investing $5 billion this decade to deliver two years of funded kindergarten for all Victorian children.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt
“Making Victoria the Education State starts in the early years – that’s why we’re delivering unprecedented investment in the first years of our children’s education.”
“We’re already giving Victorian kids an extra year of kinder – and now we’re taking action to make sure kinders are more convenient and accessible for busy families.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
“Kindergartens on school sites will deliver a better education for our state’s youngest learners by making the transition to school that much easier.”
Reviewed 18 November 2021