Construction to start on cross-cultural kinder

WORK is set to begin on one of only two culturally blended kindergartens in Victoria at the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative site on Dja Dja Wurrung country in North Bendigo.

The $2 million early learning facility is set to open in 2022 and CEO of BDAC Raylene Harradine said the project will provide kinder students with important cross-cultural learning in a bush setting.

“We know very well that for our community it’s about having a safe place where they can go and have access to education but also as part of the education, we’ll be providing traditional owner language and various activities as part of the kinder curriculum,” she said.

“The curriculum will be adapted so that we always have song, dance involved in it, also stories that are told in language. We’ll also have various other forms of teaching aides that will assist that.”

Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan said the centre is an important milestone for BDAC, and the wider Bendigo region will also benefit from targeted support with the site planned to accommodate a maternal and child health nurse.

“It’s going to provide services that are culturally appropriate for our local Indigenous community,” she said.

“It also means an addition to our early childhood services in the Bendigo community and provides more access to services like childcare but also vitally important maternal and child health services as well.”

The kinder will offer 99 places to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and once fully operational will be part of the continued state-wide roll out of three-year-old kinder, on top of providing four-year-old early learning services.