General News
9 February, 2023
New education step prepped and ready for rollout
Giving all four-year-olds the opportunity to kickstart their education journey, free Pre-Prep is set to begin in parts of Victoria in two years time before rolling into the Central Goldfields Shire by 2027. Part of the State Government’s Best...
Giving all four-year-olds the opportunity to kickstart their education journey, free Pre-Prep is set to begin in parts of Victoria in two years time before rolling into the Central Goldfields Shire by 2027.
Part of the State Government’s Best Start, Best Life early childhood education reform — from 2025 children in selected areas, including those in Ararat Rural City, will benefit from 30 hours of free Pre-Prep each week involving teacher-led play-based learning.
According to the rollout schedule, the program will expand across the state over the next 10 years with the Central Goldfields Shire expected to get 16 to 30 hours per week of Pre-Prep for 40 weeks of the year, from 2027.
Vulnerable children including those from a refugee background, children known to child protection and Aboriginal children living outside the early rollout areas will also be eligible for 30 hours of Pre-Prep every week from 2026.
These programs will be delivered through sessional kindergartens and long day-care centres, creating a high-quality, universal program that gives four-year-old children greater opportunities to socialise, learn through play and best prepare them for their formal educational journey.
“It is so important that these once-in-a-generation reforms are coming to our rural communities first, with Ararat and St Arnaud families to benefit from 2025,” Member for Ripon Martha Haylett said.
“This announcement comes off the success of free three and four-year-old kinder which is now saving local families up to $2500 in fees per child each year.”
Participating kindergarten programs will receive funding directly from the government, so families are not out-of-pocket and do not have to claim the savings back.