By Danielle Galvin
Education Minister James Merlino has announced a new early childhood package for Term 4, including free sessional kinder for 4-year-olds.
In announcing the $26.7 million support package today, he thanked the “outstanding” teachers and educators after a tough year for everyone.
The package includes:
- $13 million to go towards providing free sessional kindergarten for Term 4, for the 4-year-old cohort
- $3 million to fund an extra 5 kinder hours for children identified as vulnerable or disadvantaged
- $4 million to support transition from kindergarten to primary school
He said in a normal year, kinder kids would visit their local schools and get comfortable in a school setting.
“We are going to flip it, and this funding will provide support for teachers to visit the kindergarten providers,” he said.
“All kindergarten providers will be able to access this.”
He said it was about making the transition smoother.
“We are going to make sure this is a successful transition year for those kids and their families,” he said.
