Ministers statements: kindergarten funding
Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Minister for Environment) (12:08): I was very proud to recently join the member for Thomastown Bronwyn Halfpenny MP in opening the fabulous Lalor Primary School kinder on the school site recently. While there, I also announced the 2024 locations for our kinder on school sites program, and since 2021 the Labor government has delivered a kindergarten on site or next door to every new school that we have opened, ensuring families have better access to the services they need. But we are also delivering them on existing school sites where they are needed. Six new kinders will open at St Albans Meadows, Willmott Park, Roxburgh Park, Korumburra and Napoleons primary schools and at Kyabram P–12 College in 2024, creating an additional 495 kindergarten places for local children. The new kinders will be built with modular construction to expedite delivery and minimise disruption for the school and local community.
Kinders are an incredibly important part of a child’s lifelong education. It is where children begin to learn the skills they need to succeed in life but also where parents can gather and become part of their communities. Kindergartens on school sites ensure kindergarten programs are easier to access and drop-off times are simpler and more convenient for parents, and they provide a smoother transition from kinder to school for local children. All those benefits will make a big difference to these communities, and I am proud that our government is delivering kinders that communities need.