FEARS over the ability of south-west kindergartens to continue providing 15 hours of pre-school education to children have been eased with the federal government’s announcement of continued funding for a further two years.
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The $840 million allocation will avert the need for kindergarten operators to cut back on hours or increase charges, Warrnambool’s mayor Michael Neoh and Municipal Association of Victoria chief executive Rob Spence told The Standard yesterday.
“It’s good news not only for councils, but for the whole community,” Cr Neoh said.
“We would have faced the need to decide if service levels and staffing had to be cut. If the number of hours offered was adjusted it would upset the balance of working families.
“This funding announcement gives us certainty for the budget.”
Warrnambool City Council operates 10 kindergartens for four-year-olds, including Allansford and Dennington.
Under the Labor federal government, kindergartens across Australia were required to expand their class time from 10 to 15 hours a week for each child in the year before they started primary school.
But when the Coalition came into power the arrangement was reassessed, with moves to slash funding and put the responsibility onto states.
Mr Spence said there had been intense lobbying.
“Councils would have had to reduce the offering from 15 hours back to 10 to make it work under proposed funding cuts,” he said.
The Early Learning Association of Australia said research showed 15 hours as a minimum for quality early learning.
Wannon MP Dan Tehan said the renewed funding was a good outcome for the region after continued lobbying by himself and many others.
He said he had campaigned on the issue before the 2010 election and raised it two weeks ago with Senator Scott, parliamentary secretary to the Education Minister.
