Labor promises kindergarten reform

The Wimmera-mallee will be among the first to benefit from a Victorian Labor plan to provide funded services that allow children to start kindergarten a year earlier than usual.

Labor has promised if it wins the November state election and retains office that it will invest almost $5-billion during the next decade to establish kindergarten for three-year-old children.

Children in Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians, Yarriambiack and Buloke shires are earmarked to be the first to benefit from the program, set to start from 2020.

Children from Ararat, West Wimmera, Central Goldfields, Glenelg and Southern Grampians will be among beneficiaries of a 2021 roll-out.

Many district kindergartens already provide three-year-old kindergarten programs but none operate with government funding.

Labor has described the program as the largest social, economic and education reform in early childhood learning in Victoria’s history.

Victorian Labor has made the commitment regardless of whether Federal Labor, which has promised to fulfil a similar promise involving provision of three-year-old kindergarten services, wins next year’s federal election.

Victorian Families, Children and Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos said the start of the roll-out included regional areas such as the Wimmera because there was already capacity for kindergartens to take on additional enrolments.

“We’re starting with regional communities where we know there is a capacity now to take on additional enrolments,” she said.

“The Wimmera will be part of the first wave of the roll-out that will include at least five hours but potentially up to 15 hours of three-year-old kindergarten in 2021.

“By 2022 every Victorian will have access to at least five hours and we’re going to scale this up over the next decade. We’re replicating what we’re already doing for four-year-old kindergarten, but we know two years of kinder is better than one year and we’re now going to offer an extra year of subsidised kindergarten – whether in a standalone sessional kinder or a long-day care centre.

“It’s going to bring the cost down. We’re going to make this affordable and accessible for all Victorian families. We are going to give low-income families eligible for free four-year-old kinder free three-year-old kinder as well. For every other family we will provide a 65 percent subsidy to make it all a lot more affordable.

“Obviously Federal Labor will make their own decisions about how it will fund their announcement. But what I can say in terms of the Andrews Labor government – we have a fully funded $5-billion plan for this and we’re going to do this regardless of who is in government in Canberra.

“We think this is an absolute priority and a long overdue reform and it’s a reform we are committed to making.”

Ms Mikakos said the plan would lead to jobs growth in the pre-school education sector across Victoria, including the Wimmera-mallee.

“As part of the $5-billion plan we’re going to be investing in our workforce as well as our facilities and infrastructure,” she said. “This is certainly going to be a win-win for jobs – there will be lots of new construction and lots of new kinder teachers and educators as well as parents getting access to a full two years of affordable kindergarten. Of course the kids are going to win because of the huge education benefits.”

Councils

Municipal Association of Victoria has cautiously welcomed the proposal, acknowledging that federal funding for four-year-old kindergarten programs was only promised until the end of 2019.

Association president Cr Mary Lalios said while additional investment in Victorian children by a re-elected Andrews government and Federal Labor was encouraging, four-year-old kinder programs remained at risk.

“There are two critical questions facing councils and families: How will it be delivered? And will all parties commit permanent federal funding for four-year-olds, which is currently set to end in December next year?,” she said.

“Ahead of 15 hours of preschool being introduced nationally in 2013 for four-year-old children, there was years of planning to get facilities built and upgraded, as well as more teachers recruited and trained.

“Councils invested $780-million for early years’ infrastructure to support the 15-hours reform process and our population boom.

“This is more than double the amount that state and federal governments have invested since 2010. More than 80 percent of Victoria’s 1320 kindergarten facilities operate from council-owned buildings.

“Many current buildings could not realistically accommodate an expanded three-year-old program.

“For growth areas this would require a massive capital funding commitment by the state to build new facilities.

“The staged approach proposed by the State Government is critical to work through these challenges.

“Careful planning and a strong partnership with local government is required to ensure adequate buildings and a qualified workforce are available.”