- Parliamentary Secretary for Schools
Families living in Apollo Bay will be able to ditch the dreaded ‘double drop-off’ and access both kindergarten and school on the same site, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.
Parliamentary Secretary for Schools Tim Richardson today visited Apollo Bay P-12 College to announce a new kindergarten will be built on site at the school.
The Labor Government will be funding a two-room kindergarten, which will offer 66 licensed places, administrative facilities and outdoor play spaces.
The new kindergarten, which will be delivered in partnership with Colac-Otway Shire Council, is set to open in 2022.
In an Australian-first, the Labor Government has committed nearly $5 billion to deliver a full 15 hours of Three-Year-Old Kinder to every Victorian child over the next decade, with the roll-out beginning in 2020.
As part of this roll-out, the Government is upgrading infrastructure through a $1.68 billion co-investment with the early childhood sector to build and expand kindergarten facilities across the state.
Every new Victorian primary school set to open from 2021 will have a kindergarten on-site or next door, reducing the burden on parents and helping to build the Education State. This includes all 10 primary schools set to open in 2021 and all six opening in 2022.
The Labor Government will also deliver a number of new kindergartens on existing school sites to support the roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and provide benefits through co-location of facilities and convenience for families.
The landmark reform is starting in six regional local government areas in 2020, with families in a further 15 regional LGAs – including Colac-Otway Shire – to benefit in 2021.
As stated by Parliamentary Secretary for Schools Tim Richardson
“Making Victoria the Education State starts with the early years, which is why we’re delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services.”
“We’re already making sure Victorian kids get an extra year of kinder – and now we’re taking action so that the school drop-off is just that little bit easier for parents.”
As noted by Member for Western Victoria Minister Gayle Tierney
“This means children living in Apollo Bay will not only get the best start to life at kinder, their transition to school will be made that much easier.”
