GANNAWARRA Shire is set to be one of the first local government areas to benefit from the Victorian Government’s pre-Prep program.
Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt last week announced the rollout schedule for the pre-Prep program, which consists of 30 hours each week of teacher-led play-based learning, in six municipalities including Gannawarra from 2025.
“Early education has the most profound impact on a child’s development – that’s why we’re delivering free kinder for three and four-year-olds, establishing pre-Prep, and upgrading or providing new equipment to every kinder to make sure kids have everything they need to get the best start,” Ms Stitt said.
“These once-in-a-generation reforms will not just give our kids a quality early education, they will also give them the best start to their whole lives.”
The pre-Prep program will replace the current four-year-old kindergarten program, and follows on from the successful implementation of three-year-old kindergarten across the state, including at council-managed programs in Cohuna, Kerang, Koondrook and Leitchville.
Gannawarra Shire Council chief executive Geoff Rollinson added: “Kindergarten is an important step in any child’s educational journey, and this new play-based program, delivered by early childhood teachers and educators, will improve children’s learning and development outcomes, particularly for vulnerable and disadvantaged children”.
Pre-Prep programs will be delivered through sessional kindergartens and long day-care centre with the idea of creating a high-quality, universal program that gives four-year-old children greater opportunities to socialise, learn through play and best prepare of their formal educational journeys.
“The Pre-Prep program will provide economic benefits to the Gannawarra, with the program enabling supporting parents to return to work earlier that they are currently able to,” Mr Rollinson said.
“The program will also open up extra employment opportunities with council, with extra early childhood educators and teachers needed to support this exciting new program.”
However, Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said while any help for young students must be welcomed, the people of regional Victoria had been “short-changed” by the state government.
Mr Walsh said people in parts of the Gannawarra had been crying out for better childcare for years and those cries have been ignored.
“In Gannawarra towns, such as Cohuna, one of its largest, young families have been desperate for help to let both parents work – and nothing has happened,” Mr Walsh said.
“They have publicly campaigned, they have politely asked, and they have demonstrated.
“Now this Andrews Labor government is telling us what good people they are because Gannawarra Shire has been included in the launch of its pre-Prep strategy.
He said for Gannawarra, “it is all back-to-front funding”.
“Another service needed everywhere in the state – but the trial itself won’t start for two years. What a pathetically hollow result from an election promise. That also condemns some families two waits of three years, possibly longer,” Mr Walsh said.
“By then pre-Prep will have already passed its use-by date for too many families – if Mr Andrews is serious about helping young families and young children, how about helping them now?”
