States will fork out for ALP’s preschool plan
STATES will have to fork out billions of dollars more than the Commonwealth to pay for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s plan to send three-yearolds to preschool – but the Palaszczuk Government says it would happily pay its share.
Mr Shorten (pictured) yesterday announced a plan, if elected, to fund 15 hours a week preschool for three-yearolds. But only about one-third of this will be funded by the Federal Government, while the states will have to pay for the rest. Labor is doubling down on its early education focus, and will today promise to scrap upfront fees for 10,000 TAFE students studying early education to help create the workforce needed to teach the 300,000 three-year-olds at preschool.
The 10,000 places will be included in the 100,000 TAFE places Mr Shorten announced Labor would cover the fees for in his budget reply speech. The Federal Government currently spends about $440 million a year for 15 hours a week preschool for four-year-olds, while state governments pay approximately double that between them. Queensland’s share is more than $67 million a year.
State Education Minister Grace Grace said she would work with a Shorten Government to implement the plan.