Tuesday, 17 October 2023

 Meng Heang TAK (Clarinda) (19:03): (372) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Children, and the action I seek is for the minister to join me in visiting the Hoa Nghiem Early Learning Centre. Hoa Nghiem is a really interesting early learning centre connected to the Hoa Nghiem Buddhist College, which is a primary school run out of the temple in Springvale South. The Buddhist philosophy and curriculum make the school and the ELC quite unique. The temple, the school and the ELC are just another example of our thriving, diverse community. Victorians come from more than 200 countries, speak 260 languages and follow 135 different faiths. Nearly half of all Victorians were born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas, so it makes sense that we also have diversity in our education institutions.

I am extremely proud of the government’s broader investment in temples and multicultural infrastructure in our community and across the state. The Labor government has committed to delivering over $50 million of investment to build, upgrade and renovate new community infrastructure for multicultural and multifaith communities, and under the program we will invest $250,000 towards delivering upgrades for the Hoa Nghiem Buddhist Temple for Victoria’s Vietnamese community in Clarinda and Melbourne’s south-east. I would love for the minister to join me in visiting the Hoa Nghiem Early Learning Centre, and I look forward to her response.