Universal three-year-old kindergarten coming

MINISTER for Education James Merlino paid his first visit to a kindergarten under his expanded K-12 expanded ministerial portfolio on Tuesday, 11 December.

Mr Merlino dropped in to Mount Pleasant Kindergarten to inspect the recently completed $750,000 upgrade funded by the government’s Children’s Facilities Capital Program.

The 1950s Kindergarten building has doubled in size and capacity with the renovation and the new space will be used for playgroups, occasional care and by other groups outside regular kindergarten hours.

Accompanied by newly-elected Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle, Mr Merlino said we must be much better at investing in our children’s education before they get to primary school.

“We have committed to a revolution in early childhood education – universal threeyear- old kinder.”

Over the next decade the government plans to deliver 15 hours of three-year-old kinder on top of the 15 hours of four-yearold kinder.

This Mt Pleasant Kindergarten project demonstrates what the government is hoping to achieve across the state.

“Play-based education in kindergarten is so important,” Mr Merlino said.

The roll-out of the universal three-yearold kinder program will commence in 2020 with, according to Mr Merlino, at least five hours of three-year-old kinder available in Victoria by 2022.

Commencing in 2021 the government has committed, for each new school built, a kindergarten will be included on or adjacent to the school site – eliminating parental concerns over double drop-offs.

To accommodate the increased participation in three-year-old kinder hours the government plans to build or upgrade 1000 kindergartens.