Wednesday, 19 February 2025

 Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:13): (1426) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Children, Ms Blandthorn, and the action that I seek is that the minister join me in visiting the new onsite kindergarten which opened this year, just a few weeks ago, at Topirum Primary School in Clyde North, in my region. Clyde North, as I regularly say in this place, is a very fast growing area, which is why we have invested in the new schools in the area, including the two primary schools that opened this year, the new secondary school that opened this year and indeed the new primary school that opened last year at Topirum itself. It is also why it is so important that we are making these investments in early childhood education facilities, such as kinders on school sites, here and in other parts of my electorate, including in Lysterfield. This is all part of the Allan Labor government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms. Clyde North is home to aspirational growing families who will benefit from this new kinder, as they will from the new primary schools and the new secondary schools that we are building in the area, and indeed from the private schools that we are providing support to as well, including St Josephine Bakhita, the new Catholic primary school, and Clyde Grammar school, which I have already talked about this week.

We know that the benefit of avoiding the double drop-off for parents is immense, but it is also a huge benefit for kids in these kinders to be able to see their peers – their older brothers and sisters – playing just over that fence. We got to see indeed on a previous visit in the early stages of construction just how much there will be of that interaction when the younger kids can see their older peers playing. This will make it all the more comfortable for them to go and start their first few days in prep when they are already in their comfort zone. This is part of the Allan Labor government’s unprecedented investment in young Victorians under Best Start, Best Life. The action I seek from the minister is that she join me in attending this wonderful new kindergarten in Topirum Primary School at Clyde North.