Tuesday, 7 February 2023

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Minister for Environment) (13:38): I am very proud to update the chamber today on the next steps of our nation-leading Best Start, Best Life reforms. From 2025 four-year-old kindergarten children will transition to pre-prep over the next decade, and that will become a universal 30-hour-a-week program of teacher-led, play-based learning available to every four-year-old in the state. Regional children will be the first to benefit from 30 hours of free pre-prep each week, and pre-prep will start in 2025 in Ararat Rural City Council and Gannawarra, Hindmarsh, Murrindindi, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack shires before rolling out progressively across the state.

We know how important early education is to the development of children, and that is why Aboriginal children and vulnerable children will be able to access 30 hours of pre-prep from 2026 no matter where they live. Children whose families hold Commonwealth concession cards will be eligible for pre-prep from 2028. Children in metro Melbourne will be able to access up to 20 hours of pre-prep from 2030. And from 2032 every child in Victoria will be eligible for 30 hours of pre-prep each week, and of course that will be free.

The rollout is based on the way we have rolled out three-year-old kinder and those learnings, and it will allow us to have the time to grow the necessary workforce and deliver the infrastructure that we need right across the state to accommodate this expanded program. I am really proud that we are getting on with the next stage of Best Start, Best Life. These reforms are absolutely critical. The investment in our littlest learners and their families will not only save families money; it will help more women back into the workforce and of course it will give every Victorian child the very best start in life.