- Published:
- Friday 26 March 2021
Families in Ardeer are a step closer to ditching the dreaded ‘double-drop off’, with work underway on the new kindergarten at Ardeer Primary School.
Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt and Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman today visited Ardeer to turn the sod on construction of the kindergarten being built on site at the school.
The early learning facility which is set to open in 2022 will include a two-room kindergarten, as well as administrative facilities and outdoor learning, featuring a covered deck area, sandpit, waterplay and veggie patch.
The Andrews Labor Government has fully funded this project as part of our $283 million investment in the Victorian Budget 19/20. This new kindergarten is one of nine Kindergartens on School Sites that the Government will open in 2022.
In an Australian-first, the Victorian 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.
This investment includes the delivery of a number of new kindergartens on existing school sites to support the roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, providing benefits through co-location of facilities and convenience for families.
The government is also ensuring that 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 new primary schools which opened in 2021 and all six new primary schools opening in 2022.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt
“We are delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services to give young Victorians the best start in life.”
“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”
Quote attributable to Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman
“I’m delighted work is underway and Ardeer families are a step closer to getting the fantastic early years and school facilities they deserve – in one convenient location.”