St Paul’s receives millions for Drouin kindergarten

St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School has received $2.6 million for two projects, including a new Early Learning Centre in Drouin.

Through the Victorian Government’s Building Blocks program the school’s new Drouin campus will receive a new early learning facility, and its Traralgon early learning facility will be upgraded.

In November last year, St Paul’s proposed a new $24 million campus be built in Drouin. Baw Baw Shire Council was briefed on the plans that were yet to be considered by Minister for Planning Richard Wynne. There has been no official confirmation of the remainder of the project at this time - despite the confirmation of funding for the early learning centre.

Last year Cr Keith Cook said the proposed primary school would be situated on a 14-hectare site on McGlone Road and would include an early learning centre and prep to grade six classrooms.

The Drouin centre and Traralgon upgrade will provide an additional 110 kindergarten places across West Gippsland and Latrobe Valley. Two million will be allocated to the new centre, while $600,000 will go towards the upgrade.

The Drouin project will include four 22-capacity rooms, support facilities and a multi-purpose community room.

St Paul’s principal Cameron Herbert has welcomed the investment from the Victorian Government.

“St Paul’s is delighted to be part of the State Government’s initiative to increase the number of three-and four-year-old kindergarten places across Victoria,” he said.

This is part of a statewide project, in which the Labor Government is investing almost $5 billion in three-year-old kindergartens. They have also promised every new Victorian primary school will have a kindergarten on-site or next door.

This includes six new primary schools opened in Victoria this year.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said the investment will help get more children into kinder programs.

“These investments in hundreds of extra kinder places for West Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley will help more of our littlest Victorians to be part of our ongoing investment into three- and four-year-old kinder programs, and to enjoy facilities that are bright, modern, accessible, and fun,” she said.