Kinder students to be tech-savvy

Technology upgrades will be undertaken at 11 local kindergartens after recent grant announcements.

The kindergartens in Warragul, Drouin, Bunyip, Neerim South and Willow Grove will each receive between $1327 and $1500 to gain access to the latest technology.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said the grants would give early childhood professionals the resources they need to support their important work.

“We value the important work that early childhood teachers and educators do in Gippsland, which is why we are giving them access to the devices they need,” she said.

These kindergartens are amongst more than 400 across the state to benefit from information technology grant, as part of the Labor Government’s $33.6 million investment in the 2019/20 Budget for the Children’s Facilities Capital Program and Inclusive Kindergarten Facilities Program.

Grants of up to $1500 will help purchase desktops, laptops, tablets and televisions that are used as part of learning programs or for administration use.

Receiving $1500 grants are Warragul Community Kindergarten for a desktop computer and VOIP phone, both Bunyip Kindergarten and Warragul Early Learning Centre for additional IT resources, and Willow Grove Kindergarten for a digital signin/sign-out upgrade.

Three Goodstart Early Learning centres in Drouin and Warragul (Burke St and Sutton St) will also each receive $1500 for Apple iPads and keyboards.

Grace Berglund Kindergarten in Warragul will purchase an iPad and VOIP phone after a $1345 grant whilst Mary Beck Preschool in Neerim South will gain a desktop computer, VOIP phone and iPad stand with its $1414 grant.

Drouin Primary Early Learning Centre received $1327 for a class laptop and Oak Street Kindergarten in Drouin was granted $1348 for an IT upgrade.

Minister for Education James Merlino said, in an Australian-first, the Labor Government was investing nearly $5 billion over the next 10 years to deliver two years of funded kindergarten for all Victorian children through its Three-Year-Old Kindergarten reforms.

“Making Victoria the Education State starts with the early years, which is why we are making unprecedented investments in early childhood education,” he said.