22 JunFeedback on transformational $9 billion investment in ECEC
Thanks to you all for your feedback to date on the Victorian government’s recent announcement on expanded investment in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), including free kindergarten and 30 hours of four-year-old kindergarten from 2025.
Whilst many members are applauding the announcement, there’s also a desire to understand how the rollouts will occur.
Key issues that have been raised with ELAA to date concern:
- capacity of higher fee kindergartens to operate under the new arrangements, including if opt-out or voluntary fees are permissible
- how services, particularly single-room kindergartens, can provide three and four-year-old kindergarten as hours of delivery are scaled
- support to build the infrastructure needed to deliver on the expansion
- the impacts of the scale-up on employment arrangements of teachers and educators
- support available to attract and retain the workforce.
ELAA is actively liaising with the Victorian Department of Education and Training on these issues, including supporting a planned and consultative approach to the scale up to 30 hours of four-year-old kindergarten.
We will host a member forum in Term Three to collect your insights and keep you up-to-date with the information at hand.
