Three-year-old Victorian kindergarten students made history this week as the first children in Australia to take part in the new education program.
Minister for Education, James Merlino joined early childhood staff, children and families at Leongatha Children’s Centre to mark the first day of funded universal three-year-old kindergarten.
“It is part of the Government’s almost $5 billion decade-long reform to make two years of funded universal kindergarten programs available for all children across the state,” Mr Merlino said.
“Thirty-six kindergarten services across the six local government areas (LGAs) will deliver up to 15 hours each week of programs for three-year-olds in 2020,” he said.
“Around 560 children are enrolled in funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten programs.”
Mr Merlino said an additional 80,000 children would attend four-year-old programs across the State.
He said three-year-old kindergarten would be rolled out progressively, with families in a further 15 regional LGAs to benefit in 2021.
He said the programs were set to be expanded in 2022 to give the rest of the State access to five hours of funded kindergarten, before being scaled up to a full 15-hour program by 2029.
“At full roll-out, an estimated 90,000 children each year will be receiving this important educational boost.”
“Victoria will be the first State or Territory in Australia to introduce funded three-year-old kindergarten for all children,” Mr Merlino said.
